CHILLED-OUT LUCY GOES WITH THE FLOE
Lucy the labradoodle has found herself an unlikely online star after her heartwarming rescue from the freezing Detroit River.
“It had such a happy outcome,” said Wyandotte assistant fire chief Tom Lyon. “She just had those big brown eyes, and she couldn’t talk but she probably was just so grateful.”
Lucky Lucy somehow got away from her owners, who live near the
Detroit River, and ended up on an ice floe. Fortunately, neighbours who spotted her on the water called 911 to report it. “If not for that, the dog would have frozen to death or drowned,” said Wyandotte deputy police chief Archie Hamilton.
Mr Hamilton said police considered calling the Coast Guard, but when the firefighters showed up, they calmly took control and made a plan.
Soon social media and television stations were broadcasting the dramatic rescue live across the US.
To save Lucy, firefighters nudged the ice floe towards the river bank. When it was close enough, fireman Derrek Azzopardi used a catchpole to grab Lucy and pull her to him.
Mr Lyon said firefighters were trained for such events. “She’s a dog, but a member of a family,” he said.