Today’s rescue story is pretty straightforward: A lost dog finds herself in danger after falling into a partially frozen river until rescuers come to save her. Despite the familiar tone of canine rescue stories, this one deserves our attention, as we can learn many lessons from it.
Lucy, the dog in today’s story, is a Labradoodle from Wyandotte in Detroit, Michigan. She was recently adopted by her current owner at a shelter and therefore was adjusting to her new life.
The unthinkable happened on the afternoon of February 28, when she and her owner went out for a walk. She broke free from her leash and ran away before carelessly jumping into Michigan’s partially frozen Detroit River. This unfortunate circumstance prompted Lucy’s owner to call the police and firefighters.
Around 4:15 pm, the Wyandotte Police and Fire Department arrived at the scene. Fortunately, Lucy managed to find a block of ice and went onto it. However, the current swept her 50 feet away from the river’s edge, which meant the rescue team had to act fast.
The police and firefighters considered different options to rescue Lucy, including asking for assistance from the coastguards. Fortunately, the Fire Department managed to nudge the ice block closer to them until Lucy was about 15 feet away.
Afterward, one brave firefighter, Derrek Azzopardi, came to pluck the terrified Labradoodle out of the icy river. First, his teammates secured him in a rope while they held the other end. Then, the rescuer climbed down a metal ladder that stood thigh-deep in the water.
As he slowly waded towards Lucy’s location, Azzopardi attempted to slip a catchpole around her neck. After several tries, he finally succeeded and gently guided her towards the water. At first, Lucy resisted Azzopardi’s pull and tried to back off, visibly reluctant and anxious to jump back into the water. But after several tries, she eventually slipped off the ice and paddled towards the shore.
The rest of the work became more manageable after that. Azzopardi carried Lucy with one hand as he climbed onto the wet and slippery ladder. It was such a relief once they were on dry land! Thirty minutes later, Lucy reunited with her worried but grateful owner.
The Wyandotte Police Department called Lucy’s rescue a sweet and amazing one. Tom Lyon, Wyandotte Assistant Fire Chief, described Lucy’s disposition after the rescue operation. Though she couldn’t talk, her big brown eyes had so much joy and gratitude.
Hopefully, Lucy’s rather dramatic experience teaches her a lesson by being more cautious and less reckless. She still needs more adjusting and training as a newly rescued dog, but we believe she will eventually adjust to her new life with her family.
Lucy’s story teaches us many things – that the world is still good and that there is hope for humanity, thanks to the people who continuously do good deeds to keep the faith alive!
Watch Lucy being saved by her brave rescuers here:
Source: ABC7 – Chicago via YouTube and Wyandotte Police department – Michigan via Facebook
