WHITEFISH — A Montana firefighter plunged into an icy river to help a dog safely reach the shore in a dramatic rescue that was captured on video.
The footage shows a firefighter on Monday carrying a rope and a flotation device as he pushed his way through the ice in the Whitefish River in northwestern Montana to reach the dog.
The unidentified firefighter grabbed the dog by the collar and began pulling it toward the shore, which seemed to spur the animal to start swimming on its own.
Fire department officials said in a statement Tuesday that the dog was chasing a deer when it fell into the water. The air temperature was about 7 degrees.
Officials say the dog was fine after it was warmed up.