Kelowna

Photo: Contributed

Kitimat RCMP Officers are being thanked by a grateful family whose dogs were rescued from the icy waters of Hirsch Creek River over the New Year.

On January 1,  at 1:25 p.m. two Kitimat RCMP members responded to a 911 call where two Labrador Dogs named Brody and Duke, had fallen through the ice and into the Hirsch Creek River.

Cst. Andrew Johnstone and Cst. Daniel Kelly both attended and were advised that the dogs were hanging on to the ice and had been in the water for 30 minutes. One of dogs, Brody, was able to pull himself out and was safe with its owner.

RCMP members were advised that the closest water rescue boat was an hour out of town and therefore the members took action immediately as Duke would not survive any prolonged time in the cold river and was struggling to remain above water.

As such, Cst Kelly removed his jacket and vest, attached a tow rope to his belt and put on a life preserver. Cst Johnstone held onto the rope and with the assistance of community member, they were able to guide Cst. Kelly as he cautiously crawled over the ice to the dog. After securing a leash to Duke’s collar, Cst. Kelly pulled him back onto the ice where he immediately raced back to the shoreline and into the waiting arms of his owner. After a quick rub down with a spare blanket, Duke and Brody were both bounding about, relieved to be on solid ground.

Cpl. Peppler of the Kitimat Detachment says, "Cst. Johnstone and Cst. Kelly worked together as a team and rescued two much loved pets. This shows how committed they are to helping people in their community including the four legged population."