Caught on Video: Dramatic Rescue of Dog Who Fell Through Ice in Colorado

Very unfortunate update below

A dog who bolted from his owner while on a walk near the Smith Reservoir in Lakewood, Colo., would probably be dead today if not for the heroic and dramatic rescue by local fire crew. A firefighter suited up in cold-water rescue gear crawled out and then semi-swam to the dog while hacking away at the ice so he could reach the dog. The dog, a Dogo Argentino named Max, was very glad to see his hero, and made a beeline for him.

“We’re blessed to have him here tonight,” Max’s owner, Michael Robinson, told 7NEWS. Max warmed up in the ambulance and is apparently back to his bouncy, energetic self.

His dramatic rescue was captured by a news helicopter.

Can you say “hero”?

(I was sorry to learn that Max ended up in the water because he was chasing a coyote. The coyote also fell into the reservoir, but very sadly, did not last against the elements. I wish that weren’t part of this story, but it is. Still the real story is that of the lengths these rescuers went to to save Max. RIP, coyote …)

Update 2:30 pm 2-8-12: I am really dismayed to have to bring you more bad news about this story. It started out as such a feel-good story, then I learned about the coyote drowning, and now it turns out that this morning Max bit the face of Denver TV anchor Kyle Dyer as she “tried to kiss/snuggle with the dog,” stated the animal control report, according to the Denver Post. Dyer is in fair condition at a local hospital.

The 85-pound dog is in custody of Denver Animal Care and Control, where he’s being detained pending investigation of the incident, and quarantined for 10 days to observe for signs of rabies and other illnesses. The dog reportedly was not up to date on rabies inoculations.

The firefighter who went into the frigid water to rescue Max was in the 9News studio with Max and his owner when the attack occurred. He once again went into rescue mode, this time helping Dyer. “It was definitely shocking, it was not how I envisioned my morning going,” Tyler Sugaski told the Denver Post. “It’s one thing getting called to a scene, but to be there right as it is happening, it’s different.”

I’ll provide another update when I get more news. Thank you to Chesney, who left a comment below so we had a heads up about this situation.

Here is a supershort clip of the bite. The main interview and clip are no longer available.

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Need Inspiration to Learn Doggy CPR? Watch This Dramatic Video

Learning canine CPR isn't too hard and can make the difference between life and death

By now you may have seen this video of a dog who collapsed during a training class earlier this week and pretty much died right there, only to be resuscitated by the trainer, who didn’t really know CPR but tried his hand at it. The video has gone fairly viral. Here’s the raw footage. (The most dramatic parts, with the dog’s understandably hysterical owner, are early on. It’s astounding to watch the dog come to — scared and confused, but very much alive.)

I’m glad they got it on video (ostensibly for the veterinarian?). My inclination would have been to help the distraught owner or the trainer, rather than stand there and videotape it. But in the long run, the video has done a lot of good, because people are now looking into learning more about doggy CPR.

The trainer, Ron Pace, is really to be commended. Sugar would probably not be here now if not for him. And Pace’s actions have brought canine CPR into the headlines. So let’s all benefit from this: If you don’t already know doggy CPR, take some time to learn it. Enroll in a course through your local SPCA, pet store, or dog group. If such a class doesn’t exist near you, or if it’s too pricey, you can find good info on the internet. Here’s a video that’s helpful. There are many others out there, too.

You can also find some good resources at the bottom of a Dogster post I did last year about a Chihuahua whose life was saved by CPR.

(We send a thank-you to Dogster Diane Almy, for keeping us up to date on this story!)

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