Dog Helps Officer Rescue Man From Freezing Water In Northern MI: MSP

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, MI — A dog helped an officer rescue a man who fell through ice on a northern Michigan lake Thursday, according to Michigan State Police.

Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts responded to an 11:45 a.m. call about a 65-year-old man who had fallen through ice on Arbutus Lake in East Bay Township, which is roughly nine miles southeast of Traverse City, according to police.

Bystanders on the shore called 911 after they saw the man fall through the ice, police said.

When Bennetts arrived at the scene, he grabbed a throwable water rescue disc with an attached rope from his vehicle and went onto the ice, police said.

Bennetts saw the man in the water and a dog on the ice near him, but couldn't reach them due to ice conditions, police said.

So Bennetts asked the man to send his dog, Ruby, over to him, police said.

Ruby obeyed the command and Bennetts attached the rescue disc to her collar, police said.

Bennetts then told the man to call for Ruby, who then ran back to her owner with the device, police said.

Bennetts then told the man to take the disc from Ruby's collar and start kicking his legs, police said.

Along with a firefighter with the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, Bennetts pulled the man out of the freezing water and to safety, police said.

The man was in the water for roughly 16 minutes, police said.

He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated and released, police said.

"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.

Michigan State Police released footage of the rescue captured by the officer's body camera.

Grand Traverse County: Body-cam footage captures daring ice rescue by MSP Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts with the help of the victim’s dog Ruby. Great team work and well done! https://t.co/uTblTv3bhV pic.twitter.com/NDKKHZnysu
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) January 18, 2024