Dramatic rescue on Trout Lake

The Marine Unit of the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services was involved in a cold-water rescue Friday morning on Trout lake.

“This is exactly what we train for,” said Platoon Chief Jim Beach.

A man attempted to rescue his dog, who had wandered out on the ice Friday morning, by dragging a canoe to the area he was trapped.

The man boarded the canoe when he reached open water, but became trapped himself.

“When he got to the dog he reached in to the water to grab the dog and pull it out of the water. His upper half was in the water and by the time he got the dog in the canoe he was too exhausted to get the canoe back to shore,” said Beach.

The Aweres Fire Department were first on scene and called the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services Marine Unit for mutual aid.

The Sault OPP were also on the scene as the rescue was conducted.

The Marine Unit attended the scene with their air boat but ended up not using it, in favour of traditional ice rescue methods.

“We just used our personnel in their immersion suits,” said Beach.

The man was sent to hospital with signs of hypothermia, the dog was reported as being safe at home warming up.

He said the training the unit does throughout the year prepares them for just such an emergency.

“It helps us to perform a rescue safely for us and the person involved,” he said.

Beach added that people should be staying off any ice right now and to ensure your pets do not wander out on open ice.