Police Officer Rescues Dog From Icy Lake
Published
A police officer has been widely praised after rushing on to an ice-covered lake to rescue a dog that had fallen into the water.
Lewiston police department was alerted to the incident last month by the dog’s owner, who explained they and a friend had been walking their dogs when their 10-month-old Labrador, Kona, chased a flock of geese into the middle of the lake in New York.
The owner estimated that Kona ran ’75 yards onto the ice’ before the ice ended and she fell into the water, and although the dog is a ‘strong swimmer’ the owner knew there was ‘zero chance of her getting back out on to the ice’. They called 911 and three officers soon arrived on the scene, one of who was officer Jon Smith.
You can see Smith’s response below:
Loading…
In an email written to the police department after the rescue, the owner explained that Kona had been in the water for 10-15 minutes when the officers arrived, and that she had started to ‘panic and tire quickly’.
They didn’t feel comfortable going in after the dog themselves due to the ‘unpredictability of the ice’ and because they had recently undergone back surgery, but upon arriving on the scene Smith did not hesitate and strode out on to the lake to try and reach the dog.
The owner recalled:
Without hesitation and any rescue equipment, Officer Jon Smith removed his vest and gun belt and cautiously made his way out onto the ice, monitoring the condition as he went.
This was no close to shore rescue…she was far from shore. He was able to get close enough to grab 75 lb Kona and pull her to safety.
Footage shared by the police department shows Smith cautiously making his way over the ice before grabbing Kona and pulling her out of the water, allowing her to shake off and make her way back to her owner.
The owner wrote that they, the dog and ‘everybody that loves her’ were ‘extremely grateful’ for Smith’s ‘selflessness and courage’, and told the department they should feel ‘proud’ to have Smith among them.
They added: ‘His professionalism and bravery should be applauded. I have witnessed countless acts of selfless heroism, Officer Jon Smith’s actions rank high in my book. Kona and I will visit the police station soon to thank Officer Smith once again for his outstanding service.’
Lewiston police department said Smith’s rescue of Kona came shortly after he received a department award for pulling a woman from a burning house. The officer also received a wealth of praise from social media users, who described his actions on the lake as ‘selfless’ and ‘amazing’.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
