Bedford Fire And Police Save Dog From Icy Merrimack River

BEDFORD - Franklin was in trouble. The 6-year-old Corgi was wet and cold after falling down an icy embankment into the frigid February water of the Merrimack River. With no way to navigate the slope safely, Franklin’s owner could not get to the dog, instead calling him over to a shallow cove and calling 911.

Bedford Fire and Police arrived in 12 minutes, with a rescue team entering the river about 20 feet downstream and quickly moving back upstream to rescue Franklin. Fire captain Thatcher Plante said the owner did exactly the right thing by coaxing the corgi to as safe a location as possible and then calling for help.

“Your first instinct is to jump in there yourself,” Plante said. “But that really does slow the rescue down when we get there. We are all animal lovers, but our first priority when we get on scene has to be human beings. If you jump in, and get in trouble, it is going to be longer before we can rescue your animal.”

While many pets enjoy hikes in the snow, winter can be an especially dangerous time, especially when it comes to uneven, slippery terrain and fluctuating ice thickness on ponds and rivers.

“The most frequent thing we respond to this time of year is dogs going through the ice,” Plante said. “Dogs love to play on snowy ice. But if they go through, owners start to panic. The biggest thing to remember is that if your 50-pound dog breaks through the ice, it is obviously not going to support your weight, if you go out there as well.”

Franklin’s rescue team wore wetsuits and used belay cables to anchor to the shore to make sure they were able to get to the corgi safely.

“Even with all of our training,” Plante said, “it is easy to lose your footing and get swept downstream.”

Plante said the phrase to remember in case of a water emergency is “Reach. Throw. Row. Don’t Go.”

If you are close enough to a person or animal, first try to “reach” them by hand. In the case of a person, reach using an oar, fishing pole or branch, using it to pull the person to safety. In the case of a dog, try luring it back with a toy or stick the animal can bite. If that doesn’t work, then “throw” a life vest, rope or other object that floats, in the case of a person in danger.

If you have a boat, "row" out on open water to try to get closer. But “Don’t Go” into the water, Plante said; instead call 911 -- and keep eye contact -- until emergency personnel responds.

“Even a strong swimmer can get pulled under water by someone who is panicking,” Plante said.

Plante said the rescue was a team effort between Bedford Fire and Police, and that Franklin arrived back to his owner happy and warm.

"He looked pretty calm," Plante said. "He wanted to get out of the water. I think he realized we were there to help."

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