Caught on Video: Massachusetts Man Saves Two Dogs From Icy River Water Using Kayak
A kayaker fishing on a river in Massachusetts saved two black Labrador retrievers that had fallen into the icy water on Saturday, March 8.
Zach Lalonde was fishing for carp in the Sudbury River near the Sudbury-Concord line while creating a video for his YouTube channel, Northeast Outdoors. He noticed two dogs were chasing some geese when the dogs ran out onto the river. Both animals fell into the water after they slid over a patch of thin ice on the river.
The owner was ready to follow them, but Lalonde told him to wait. What happened next was a heroic rescue that would be captured on video.
“I knew there was some kind of time restraint where I had to make sure I got both of them up in this certain amount of time. Because the river was still freezing cold, and I mean they were swimming themselves to exhaustion trying to get themselves on the ice and keep themselves afloat,” Lalonde told CBS Boston WBZ-TV in an interview.
Lalonde jumped into his kayak and made his way over to the dogs. After several attempts, he pulled one onto the kayak and helped the other dog get back onto the ice. Lalonde transported one of the dogs back to shore by kayak while the other ran over the ice back to its owner.
Massachusetts rescue personnel said the incident serves as a reminder that people should keep their cell phones on them during outdoor excursions or have another person with them. They also stress that you should never attempt to rescue a person or an animal stuck in water; instead, call 911.