The close of 2022 brought a bone-chilling and harrowing experience for one lucky dog, but thanks to the heroic efforts of the Coast Guard, she has not only survived but has also welcomed the new year with renewed hope.
On December 31, a five-ɱaп team from the US Coast Guard’s Detroit sector was on a routine patrol check of the shoreline of the Detroit River, according to the Detroit Free Press.
However, they soon noticed someone in need of help: a small white dog who had fallen into the river and was trapped.
While the crew said they “don’t usually” make rescues like this, they knew they had to help. One member of the crew, 22-year-old Petty Officer Cole Harper, made his way across the thin ice to reach the dog.
With the other members of the team holding on by tether, Harper was able to reach the dog and carefully pull it out of the water, and make his way back to safety.
For the freezing-cold pup, it was very welcome assistance: “The dog was welcoming and pretty grateful from what I heard. And pretty happy,” spokesɱaп Ensign Adeeb Ahmad told the Detroit Free Press.
According to a Facebook post, the Coast Guard team “kept [the dog] warm” until Detroit Animal Care and Control arrived for assistance.
It’s not clear where the dog came from — but she’ll soon have a home if she didn’t have one before.
“One of the crew members said he told his wife that if no one claims the dog, he’d like to adopt it,” Ahmad said.