Two golden retrievers were rescued by divers Tuesday afternoon after they ventured onto thin ice at Blues Lake in Rolla.
Trapped and treading water for nearly an hour in the freezing water, the dogs, Pita and Diego, were rescued by two divers from the Rolla Rural Dive Team.
The owner of the dogs, Lea Gardner, said the dogs escaped from their pen and wandered into the lake.
Before emergency responders arrived on the scene, an unidentified woman jumped into the lake and attempted to swim out to the dogs but did not succeed in her efforts.
The woman “self-rescued” and did not require any medical attention, according to bystander accounts.
Two Rolla Rural Dive Team members, Fire Chief Bruce Southard and Firefighter Ryan Cox, donned dry suits, attached themselves to rescue ropes and navigated their way through the ice to rescue the dogs, which were trapped in the middle of the lake.
After Southard and Cox reached the dogs, emergency responders from several agencies quickly pulled them onto shore.
The dogs were transported to a nearby veterinarian, who said they were in good condition.
Southard and Cox were warmed and checked by Phelps County Ambulance staff at the scene, and both were released at the scene.
Once out of the ambulance, Southard was asked if the water was cold.
“Not at first!” he answered with a laugh.
After seeing photos of the rescue, dog-owner Gardner wrote a thank you note to all the emergency responders who helped with the rescue.
“They (golden retrievers) were a year old when I adopted them, and they love to escape the yard,” Gardner wrote. “This time their swim would have killed them if not for all of the folks listed above.
“God bless each and every one!”
Other support crews assisting with the rescue included staff from various agencies, including the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, which waited nearby with a boat in case the divers needed help; the City of Rolla Fire & Rescue; Rolla Animal Control, which provided on-site medical attention to the dogs, and the Rolla Police Department.
Rolla Fire Chief Robert Williams commended all the agencies for their efforts in rescuing the dogs.
Rolla Police Chief Mark Kearse said, “An outstanding job by all! — a great team effort and heroic act. This is what working together is all about — the greater good.”
