Dog saved from icy death

Photo: CTV

A woman rushed into the water and was eventually able to retrieve the dog, which doesn't even belong to her.

A woman is being hailed a hero for saving a dog from a icy death.

The unidentified woman rushed into a freezing East Vancouver lake to rescue a dog that fell through the ice.

And the dog wasn't even hers.

"This woman, without hesitation, just started trudging out into the water," said Ben West, who watched with amazement from the lakeshore. "She took off her jacket and was breaking through the ice with her hands."

West told CTV News he was walking through the park with his partner when they spotted the dog on the ice.

Several people, including the owner, watched in horror as the animal fell through, but before anyone had time to react the woman was already rushing to save the animal.

- with files from CTV Vancouver