DULUTH, Minn. – Firefighters in Duluth, Minnesota battled 8-foot waves and freezing temperatures to rescue a dog who escaped his leash and jumped into Lake Superior.
St. Louis County dispatchers received reports of a dog who escaped his leash and jumped into Lake Superior near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 6:20 p.m. Dispatchers used cameras on a lift bridge being controlled by a bridge operator to help locate the callers and the dog.
When crews arrived, they met with the owners of the dog who pointed out where the dog was. The dog was struggling in 8-foot waves in the middle of the ship canal. Firefighters entered the water in ice suits that are designed to work in the extreme cold water and ice of Lake Superior.
Crew members fought through the waves to find the dog, but struggled to see him because of the darkness and the large waves. The department said the dog was dark in color and kept slipping below the surface.
Firefighters on the pier and the dog’s owner used portable lights and shouted directions to the crew to help them locate the dog. Firefighters were able to get a hold of the dog by his collar, but the large waves made the rescue difficult. All they could do was help the dog stay above the water. The department said the dog was large, scared, and struggling.
The crew and dog were swept in towards the bay. Firefighters in a boat and in the water struggled in the waves, but were able to get the dog and firefighters into the boat as they were passing under a bridge.
The boat was driven to an area of the pier where the water is calmer. The dog was reunited with his owners and treated by the fire department for exposure. After treatment, the dog had stopped shivering, was able to walk on his own, and was able to jump into his owner’s car.
“The Duluth Fire Department is often asked why we would respond to calls like this and put firefighters at any level of risk for an animal. The Duluth Fire Department understands how important pets are to their families. We have learned in the fire service that if we do not respond to help in these situations that bystanders and owners likely will take action on their own,” the fire department said in a Facebook post.
The fire department said one of the owner’s of the dog had threatened to jump into the water. They said without the proper training and equipment anyone who jumped into the water would have been in serious danger.
“The Duluth Fire Department wants to stress to the public the importance of not putting yourself into a situation you are neither trained nor equipped to handle. This will not only put you at risk but the emergency responders as well. It will also greatly limit the options we have to try to save your pet as all efforts will now be directed at saving you. Given the wave and temperature conditions in the canal last night, anyone entering the water without the proper training and equipment would most likely have ended in tragedy,” the department said in a Facebook post.