WATCH: Dog helps rescue dying owner from frozen Michigan lake
Trooper was responding to a 65-year-old man who reportedly fell through ice at Arbutus Lake
January 20, 2024
An incredible canine named Ruby played a vital role in assisting a state police trooper in rescuing a Traverse City man who fell through the ice on a northern Michigan lake on Thursday.
The incident took place at Arbutus Lake in East Bay Township, which is approximately nine miles southeast of Traverse City when a 65-year-old man was reported to have fallen through the ice around 11:45 am.
The bystanders on the shore immediately called 911 after witnessing the mishap, Detroit News reported,
Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts reached the scene promptly and acted quickly, retrieving a throwable water rescue device with an attached rope from his vehicle before proceeding onto the ice.
Upon reaching the location, Bennetts noticed the dog on the ice near the man who fell through, which played a critical role in the rescue.
Officials said that, due to ice conditions, Bennetts could not reach the man, and asked the man to send his dog, Ruby, over to him.
Ruby obeyed the command and Bennetts attached a rescue device to her collar. He instructed the man to call for Ruby, who ran back to her owner with the device.
Bennetts instructed the man to remove the device from Ruby's collar and kick his legs.
A firefighter with the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department also helped Bennetts pull the man to safety, authorities said.
The man was submerged in water for 16 minutes and then taken to a hospital for treatment. He was later released.
"The quick actions of MCO Bennetts along with the help from Ruby, they were able to perform a successful ice rescue," officials said in a statement.
State police also released footage of the rescue captured by the officer's body camera.
