DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Siberian Husky stranded on ice near the Gordie Howe Bridge in Detroit was rescued by first responders after spending at least 24 hours in bitter cold temperatures, showing signs of hypothermia in its paws.
Two fishermen, Cedric Humphrey and his uncle Walter Cross of Detroit, spotted the 2-year-old dog Sunday around 8:30 a.m. while out on the water.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below:
The pair, who are part of group known as the Metro Detroit Walleye Stalkers, noticed the husky stuck on a sheet of ice in front of what appeared to be a culvert and immediately tried to help.
"It stood out... being a white dog with a black silhouette of a drainage tube behind it. It stood out like a sore thumb if you were pretty vigilant and you were looking," Humphrey said.
Cross said the discovery was almost accidental.
"We hit the river and we weren't catching anything, so we said let's go to another area and see if there's fish there. We were riding up river, and it was actually Cedric that spotted it," Cross said.
Humphrey said the dog did not appear aggressive, only frightened.
"It just looked more scared than anything. Uncertain of which way to go or what to do," Humphrey said.
The two attempted to reach the dog themselves but were unable to get close enough.
"Thought we were going to be able to pull up in there, but the pillars were too close together," Humphrey said. "and then there was part of a seawall that was under the water... that you couldn't see."
Cross then contacted his wife who called an emergency rescue group known as The Karens. Co-founder Chantal Rzewnicki and her team arrived on scene but could not access the culvert because it was fenced in.
"My guess is it probably jumped down when everything was frozen. Just over the last couple of days, it warmed up and kind of broke and now it's stuck," Rzewnicki said.
Rzewnicki contacted Michigan Humane, and first responders arrived Monday morning. The Detroit Fire Department deployed a ladder and crews attempted to coax the dog out of the tunnel with treats, but the dog was too scared to come out at first.
After a couple of hours, crews successfully got the dog out of the tunnel and up over the wall. Michigan Humane thanked everyone involved, saying the rescue is exactly why they train.
"Michigan Humane puts resources to work for those that need it the most. Thank you to those that were the voice for this dog. Collaboration got the job done. Thank you to Detroit Police Department, Detroit Fire Department, Detroit Animal Care and Control, and our dedicated rescue team, along with supporters who help make this work possible," Matt Pepper, Michigan Humane CEO and president, said in a statement.
It is still not clear how the dog ended up on the ice. For Humphrey and Cross, the experience reinforced a simple but important lesson.
"It could save your life, you could save someone else's life, a dog's life at that — it pays off to be aware and vigilant while you're out and about not just on the water, but just in everyday travel" Humphrey said.
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