BOULDER, Colo. — As Indy, a blue heeler mix, and her humans enjoyed the fresh snowfall in Boulder on Saturday morning, owner David Stewart made sure she stayed by the family’s side.
“We just make sure she stays close. Typically, we put her on a leash,” said Stewart.
Keeping pets close is the best thing to do during the winter if you're near a body of water, according to Boulder Fire Rescue.
“We've had two calls this year for dogs going through the ice,” said Lieutenant Joe Gross.
Pets falling through ice, he said, can often lead to bigger problems:
“Our little furry friends go out and we want to go save them and help them out, and so the guardians of those animals become the victims,” said Gross.
In the past month alone, there have been several animal ice rescues across the Front Range.
Say your pet ends up falling through ice – as tempting as it can be to run after him or her, the best thing for you is to stay on dry land and call for help.
“Every apparatus we have in the city has an ice rescue suit and rope that we can send out there,” said Gross. “We do have dog poles that we can reach to an animal, so we don't get bit or attacked in any way. And we have ropes, so we can set up a rope system if it's a larger animal.”
Earlier in January, Boulder Fire Rescue crews took part in a series of trainings to make sure they are well prepared for ice rescue season.
In addition to ice rescue suits and ropes, first responders use ice cleats, ice picks, and saws in their ice rescue missions.
If you do end up falling in after your pet, you’re advised to do the following:
- 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
Time is of the essence in ice rescues.
“They call it the 1-10-1 rule, where you have one minute to get your breath under control. You have 10 minutes to get out of the ice before you really get into hypothermia. And then you have one hour before things are really bad,” added Gross.
That’s why Lieutenant Gross says it’s better to play it cool:
“It is best to keep [dogs] on leash and under a little safer control.”
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