On New Year's morning Saint Louis Missouri firefighters were called to rescue a dog from the icy waters at Fairground Park. A man was walking his dog in the park when another dog that appeared to be German Shepherd mix showed up.
The stray shepherd got spooked and ran onto the ice. The weight of the dog was too much for the thickness of the ice and the dog fell through into the frigid water. The man called for help and Saint Louis firefighters responded.
"He was scared. I'm pretty sure he wanted to get out of the water," says St. Louis Firefighter Dan Hill told St Louis KSDK News
Interestingly enough it happened to be Hill's first day at Fire Station 29. He was chosen to go get the dog. "I believe city parks, the water is roughly four feet deep. So they decided to send the tallest guy...and that was me." Hill strapped on his waders, but the water was a little higher than he expected. He said he got a little wet as he waded out to the dog.
" I think he was happy to see me. I just threw him in the little basket that we had and they pulled him in." Hill said that the squad frequently trains for water rescues, but usually for humans.
The dog was treated at the scene with oxygen and IV fluids. He was shivering, but was alert. He was taken to the humane society. The dog was wearing a collar but he had no tags. The humane society will hold the dog for a few days to see if his owner turns up. If he is not claimed, he may be released for adoption.
