Hero dog and quick-thinking officer save man from icy Michigan lake
The Michigan State Police Officer, Kammeron Bennetts, arrived at the lake scene on Thursday at 5:45 a.m. Eastern Time. This was following a 911 distress call made by bystanders who witnessed the man crash through the ice.
7:57 AM EST, January 20, 2024
Immediately assessing the situation, Officer Bennetts realized he had to act swiftly. "I saw his head and chest barely above the water. I knew I didn't have much time," Bennetts shared.
He had initially intended to throw a frisbee-like orange rescue disc, tied to a rope, to the 65-year-old man. However, he found that the distance between him and the victim was too great.
That's when Officer Bennetts came up with a unique idea. He called over the man's dog, a female named Ruby, and attached the disc to her collar. Ruby then dashed across the ice to her owner with the rescue disc. This allowed the man to grab the disc and the officers to pull him from the icy water. The man was subsequently taken to Munson Medical Center and, thankfully, released later that day.
"Thanks to Officer Bennetts' quick thinking and Ruby's assistance, an effective rescue operation was carried out," the State Police reported. "The man had been submerged in the freezing water for approximately 16 minutes."
This successful rescue operation involved assistance from East Bay Township EMS personnel, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office, and the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department.
