2022 came to a frightening, briskly cold end for one dog, but she has survived into the new year thanks to the help of some Coast Guard heroes.
On December 31, a five-man 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,” spokesman 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.
Thank you to this Coast Guard team for going out of their way to save this dog! We know she was very grateful for your help
