For the third time in less than two months, crews with the Cooper County Fire Protection District helped rescue an animal trapped in icy water.
According to a news release from the district, firefighters responded to a partially frozen lake at Warm Springs Ranch on Highway 98 for a dog that had fallen through the ice. The dog, a Spanish Mastiff named Beth, was about 100 feet from shore when crews arrived.
Senior firefighter David Schmidt went out first, but due to the melting ice, couldn't get closer than about halfway to Beth, according to the release. Firefighter Adam Crawford stepped into help, and together they were able to get to the dog and get her out.
Both firefighters and the dog were in good condition with no injuries after getting out of the water. In all, the rescue took just under half an hour. CCFPD posted videos of the rescue effort on its Facebook page.
Cooper County firefighters helped rescue a dog on Feb. 13, and the news release Sunday mentioned a calf rescue in 2025 as well.
“Keep pets close when outside during the winter if you're near a body of water and keep yourself and them off of icy bodies of water,” the news release said. “Pets falling through the ice can potentially create bigger issues. When our pets are in danger, we instinctively want to save them and help them out, that's when the pet owners put themselves in danger and can also become the victims.”
CCFPD also offered tips in case you do fall through ice and find yourself unable to get out of the water:
- Stay calm to preserve your energy
- Control your breathing
- Yell for help
- Grip the edge of the ice shelf – but don’t try and pull yourself out as you’ll most likely continue to break the ice
If you see a person or animal fall through the ice:
- Call 911 immediately if you see someone fall through the ice.
- Maintain voice and visual contact with the victim, offering encouragement until help arrives.
- Do not attempt to rescue the person yourself, as entering icy water without proper equipment can be deadly.
