A New Jersey police officer donned specialized rescue gear and plunged into frigid water to rescue a dog that fell through the ice covering a frozen lake.
The Sparta Police Department said Patrolman Michael Poon used ice rescue gear to venture out onto Lake Mohawk, near Rainbow Trail in Sparta, when a dog was spotted struggling in the freezing water.
Poon crawled out onto the ice and plunged into the water to lift the wet and cold canine back onto the ice.
Poon was able to reunite the dog, as well as a second canine that managed to avoid falling through the ice, with their owner, Chance Dobbs.
Dobbs said he was at home at the time and did not realize his dogs, Sunkiss, 10, and Bruno, 4, had gotten out.
“There is an electric fence around the property, but the dogs found a weak spot and escaped,” Dobbs told WABC-TV.
He said Sunkiss, who fell through the ice, has a history of mischief.
“Not entirely unusual but she took it a little far this time. This is not the first, second or third time in the last month that she’s taken off,” he said.
He said Sunkiss is a bit of a bad influence on Bruno.
“She taught him to take off. He never used to. But, she’s a big time instigator,” he said.
