A yellow Labrador had a lucky escape on New Year's Day after being rescued by firefighters when he fell through the ice on a frozen pond.
The Icy Plunge
Early on the first day of 2026, emergency services in Rhode Island, USA, were called to a chilling scene. A dog, named Phoenix, had wandered onto a thin layer of ice covering a pond and fallen through into the freezing water below.
Volunteer crews from the Misquamicut Fire Department and other officials rushed to the location. They found Phoenix struggling in the slushy, icy water, unable to move himself back to the safety of the shore.
A Chilled-Out Rescue
Firefighters from both the Misquamicut and Watch Hill fire departments quickly geared up for the dangerous operation. They donned specialised ice rescue suits, designed to protect them from the extreme cold, and entered the pond to reach the stranded animal.
The rescue was a success, and Phoenix was brought to shore unharmed. Remarkably, the dog remained calm throughout the entire ordeal. Steve Howard, deputy chief of the Misquamicut Fire Department, described Phoenix as "the chillest dog I've ever seen in my life."
"The dog never made a sound. He was pretty chill," Mr Howard added.
A Happy Ending and a Stark Warning
The fire departments later celebrated the incident as 'a successful first call of 2026' in a statement on Facebook. Mr Howard followed up with Phoenix's owner later on Thursday to check on the dog's welfare.
"He got a little bit of extra food last night," Mr Howard reported. "And he took a little nap."
However, the emergency services used the opportunity to issue a vital public safety warning. They stressed that no ice is 'ever safe' to walk on during freezing conditions.
"Our firefighters train extensively for cold water and ice rescues, but these situations are extremely dangerous," the fire department stated.
A Heartbreaking Contrast
The story of Phoenix's rescue stands in stark contrast to a tragic incident that occurred in Russia last winter. A loyal dog named Belka refused to leave the spot on a frozen river where her owner had fallen through the ice and drowned.
Even after a four-day search located the body of her 59-year-old owner downstream, Belka kept returning to the fatal location, reminiscent of the famous loyal dog Hachikō. Her owner had attempted to take a shortcut across the river, but the ice was not thick enough to support his weight.
These two stories highlight both the dangers of frozen waterways and the incredible bond between humans and their pets, with outcomes that can vary from the miraculous to the utterly heartbreaking.
