Heroic rescue on ice

 When Jovi goes outside, he gets tied up now. His owner, Donna Dick, doesn’t want to risk losing him again to the semi-frozen lake behind her house.

On Nov. 21, Dick was “working away outside” with her two Norwegian Elkhounds, Jovi, one-and-a-half, and Kari, three-and-a-half. The scene was nothing out of the ordinary, until Dick saw Jovi splashing around in a hole in the ice that spanned about 10 feet in diameter.

The animal lover knew she had to get to her dog as soon as possible — she didn’t want to think of the alternative.

“I’ve got to get to my baby,” she said, reflecting on the experience.

Dick said panic swept over her when the 65-pound dog put his head and elbows on the edge of the ice and looked at her from his position 50 feet from shore.

“I didn’t know how long he had been there,” Dick said, so she didn’t waste any time.

The Red Deer Lake resident quickly located a floating lawn chair and some rope.

“I tried to throw it on the ice, but it wouldn’t go far enough,” she said.

She quickly skipped to the next plan of action — with a hammer in hand, she sat in the chair and made her way to Jovi.

The shape of her seat meant a good portion of her core and thighs were underwater, but she didn’t let the frigid water stop her.

“I was starting to feel a little numb,” she said. It didn’t slow her down though, and she reached Jovi.

“Right away, he climbed right up on me,” she said.

The two of them made their way to shore safely, and quickly sought the warmth of the house.
With swollen hands, Dick dialed 911. At the hospital, she was treated for potential frost bite on her fingers.

All the while, Jovi was at home, drying off. He was still drenched when Dick returned 12 hours later.

Now that the initial shock of the incident is wearing down, the two are doing “remarkably well.”

“My hands still get stiff in the morning,” Dick said, and Jovi “hasn’t had any ill-effects.”
Looking back on the incident, Dick said “It didn’t occur to me to be afraid.”

“I couldn’t sit there and watch him drown,” she said. “I thought about it since, and I think I did the only thing I could have done in the situation.”

Luckily, Dick and Jovi both returned home safely from their mishap on the ice. It’s not always the case though.

Dan Stack, Greater Sudbury Fire Service’s fire chief, said it’s “not very safe” to be on lakes and waterways at this time of year.

“The water is not frozen to the level it should be,” he said.

Instead of citizens attempting to rescue their own pets, Stack suggested calling for help from someone trained to safely handle the situation.

“That’s what we’re here for,” he said.

Posted by Arron Pickard