Dog Who Jumped In Icy Harbor Saved In Amazing Rescue On Long Island

NORTH FORK, NY — A dog who decided to take a swim in the frigid water on Saturday was rescued by the caring people who spotted her and police officers who rushed to help, including one who waded out into the icy depths to bring her home safely.

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said a call came in at 4:11 p.m. about a dog in the bay near Orient.

"When our officers arrived it was unclear if the dog was in distress or caught on debris underwater as it was not moving," Flatley said. "One of our officers donned his police equipment with another officer and entered the water to retrieve the dog."

The officer brought the dog ashore and transported her to the North Fork Animal Hospital for re-warming. The dog was identified by its microchip and eventually returned to its owner in Orient, Flatley said.

Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps Senior Instructor Major Bill Grigonis and his wife Joyce were traveling past the Orient Causeway and saw the dog out in Orient Harbor; the officers who responded were Grigonis' students/cadets, Flatley said.

Joyce Grigonis said the dog's owners live in Orient; their son-in-law is a Southold Town police officer, she said.

Joyce said she and her husband were crossing the Causeway just as police arrived; a woman who had been driving first saw the dog in the water, stopped, and called the police.

The dog, whose name is Bella, was a rescue who just been adopted a month ago, Grigonis said.

"At first, I thought it was a seal," she said. "I put my binoculars on and saw it was a dog."

She added: “I felt that I had to save the dog no matter what. As the daughter of a veterinarian, I was raised as an animal lover. My dad worked on Plum Island. So I scrambled down the rocks of the causeway to the waterline and started to call and whistle at the dog over and over, as loud as I could, saying, 'Here, puppy!' Thank goodness, the dog heard my calls and swam toward me until it touched bottom. Thank goodness it was low tide. Then the dog ran out of energy and couldn’t move any closer."

The water was about 42 degrees, she said.

Southold Town Police Officer Laura Conlon went home to grab waders, then came back — and Officer Justin put them on and waded out to the dog," Grigonis said.

As to why the dog may have found herself plunging into the icy harbor on the coldest day of the year, Grigonis said she seemed to be a bird dog breed. "So when she got loose in Orient, she may have gone after some birds out on the bay. And kept on swimming."

Bella's rescue touched hearts, Grigonis said. "Everyone needs a good-news story."