In February 2015 a dog called Lady fell through the ice of a frozen pond in Louisville, Kentucky. Her owners went out to help her and broke through the ice themselves. Sky News published the footage of the rescue on 18 February 2015, during one of the coldest spells of that winter across the eastern United States, and the clip quickly spread around the world.
Lady's rescue in Louisville
The Sky News report identifies the dog as Lady and describes the chain of events: she went through the ice, her owners went after her, and they too ended up in the freezing water. The video shows how quickly a dog emergency can turn into a human one. It ends happily, and it is a powerful lesson in why emergency crews tell people to stay on the bank.
The timing explains the danger. Mid-February 2015 brought a severe Arctic outbreak to much of eastern North America; around 20 February a reading of −35 °C (−31 °F) in Kentucky tied the state's record low for the month. Even after days of hard frost, the ice on a pond can stay dangerously weak in places.
What cold water does to the body
The first danger in icy water is not hypothermia but cold shock. Sudden immersion triggers an involuntary gasp and fast, uncontrollable breathing, which can draw water into the lungs. Below about 15 °C, the time a person can hold their breath falls from 60–90 seconds to just a few seconds.
- First 2–3 minutes: cold shock, gasping and rapid breathing, the most dangerous phase.
- After about 3 minutes: muscles and nerves in the arms and legs cool, and grip and swimming ability fade.
- After about 30 minutes: hypothermia sets in as core temperature drops below 35 °C.
- During rescue: people can still collapse as they are pulled out, so anyone rescued from icy water needs medical care.
Those first minutes are exactly when a would-be rescuer who has just broken through is at greatest risk, which is why the advice below matters so much.
If your dog falls through the ice
The Royal Life Saving Society’s winter water guidance is clear and simple:
- Call the emergency number straight away (911 in the US) and give an exact location.
- Stay on the bank. Never go onto the ice or into the water after a pet.
- Reach, don't go. Use a long branch, a pole, a rope or a dog lead to extend your reach, and throw something that floats.
- Prevent it. Keep dogs on a lead near frozen ponds, lakes and slippery banks all winter.
Fire departments train for ice rescue and carry dry suits, ropes and sleds. For examples of equipped crews at work, see the Coast Guard’s rescue of KC on Lake St. Clair and our Duluth deer rescue story.
Related reading
- The Coast Guard Rescue of KC on Lake St. Clair
- Conservation Officers Rescue a Deer from Duck Lake Near Kelowna
- Hovercraft Deer Rescue on Albert Lea Lake
- A Helicopter Helps a Deer Stranded on Ice
- Moose Rescued from Frozen Loon Lake, Washington: How Rescuers Freed It
- People Helping Animals: Separate Rescues in One Compilation
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