A dog gave a Michigan State Police (MSP) officer its helping paw and rescued a man who fell through the ice of a frozen lake Thursday.
Kammeron Bennetts, a Motor Carrier Officer with MSP, responded to a call regarding a 65-year-old man who had fallen through the ice at Arbutus Lake in East Bay, according to an MSP news release. When he arrived on the scene, he found the man stranded with his dog, Ruby, next to him.
Body camera footage worn by the officer shows him first attempting to throw a rescue disc from his patrol car to the man. Once it failed, he asked the man to send his dog over.
Grand Traverse County: Body-cam footage captures daring ice rescue by MSP Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts with the help of the victim’s dog Ruby. Great team work and well done! https://t.co/uTblTv3bhV pic.twitter.com/NDKKHZnysu
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) January 18, 2024
“Ruby, come here! Come here, Ruby!” Bennetts can be heard yelling. The pup came running over to him, allowing him to tie the rescue disc to her collar. He then instructed the man to call her back to him.
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“Get ahold of that disc,” he tells the man as he pulls on the rope to drag him to a safer area. “I need you to kick your feet. Bring your feet up to the surface by kicking your feet!”
Once the man was out of the water, Bennetts and a local firefighter dragged him across the ice and lifted him up safely, with Ruby following alongside. (RELATED: Hero Dog Rescues Owner From Deadly Black Mamba Snake)
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The man was trapped in the water for approximately 16 minutes, according to police. He was treated at a local medical center, where he was later released, police said.
“The quick actions of MCO Bennetts along with the help from Ruby, they were able to perform a successful ice rescue,” the police department said.
“Great teamwork and well done!” the MSP Seventh District said on Twitter.