A news crew just happened to be setting up next to a semi-frozen St. Albert, Alta. pond when a dog fell through the ice.
His owner, Duncan McIver, dove into the icy water to rescue is four-legged friend in Lacombe Lake park.
“It’s a split-second thing," he told CTV Edmonton. "You’re not just going to let him die, right?”
Watch the CTV clip of the rescue below:
McIver said the sight of his dog falling through the ice got his adrenaline pumping, so the cold temperature of the water didn’t bother him.
“I just know he’s not a good swimmer, so I had to dive in right away,” he said, adding he had no regrets. “It wouldn’t be too much of a life if I had to watch my dog drown.”
CTV News had set up a camera in the off-leash park to tape a segment about an uptick in emergency crews responding to ice rescues.
Clips of the heroic rescue have since made their way onto U.S. cable network news shows.
Earlier this month, firefighters rescued a youth who wandered onto thin ice in Ted Hole Park. A day later, rescue workers were out again to save a dog who fell into an icy pond.
With temperatures warming, St. Albert firefighters used the viral video for an opportunity to make a public service announcement to keep off the melting ice.
Also on HuffPost
