Dog rescued after misguided adventure on thin ice
A dog in Enfield is recovering on dry land following a dramatic rescue after it nearly drowned in a frozen lake Sunday morning.
The brittle ice on Grand Lake was no match for the weight of the wandering Tonka, the Bernese mountain dog that fell into the bone-chilling water.
"The dog was totally submerged, just his head was above water," said Terry MacAloney, Enfield's deputy fire chief.
"Two citizens in a canoe, they helped hold its head above water."
He said fire crew were called at 10:13 a.m. MacAloney said the dog looked visibly tired from swimming.
Firefighters donned their ice rescue suits and carefully made their way onto the lake, successfully pulling the animal out of the frigid water and returning it to his distraught owners.
"They were very relieved, extremely relieved. They were very frantic when the first crews arrived on scene," said MacAloney.
MacAloney said Tonka looked cold, but in good spirits.
Tonka's owners said he slept by the wood stove for a few hours and was chasing squirrels soon after.
