Let's hear it for the boys in blue and the guys with the pipes and ladders! Police and firefighters don't just come to the rescue of humans; they are incredible when it comes to saving the four-legged citizens of their towns, like Tucker, the yellow Labrador who owes his life to the uniforms of the Orange County Sheriff's Department and Lake of the Woods Fire and Rescue in Locust Grove, Va. and Bobo Bear, the Newfoundland hound who started the week's pond rescues in nearby Spotsylvania.
Early on Tuesday morning, the Orange County Sheriff's Office was called about reports of a yellow Labrador who was stuck in an icy pond on Rapidan Hills Road in Locust Grove. Upon arrival at about 6:23 a.m., "the deputy observed a large yellow lab had broken through the ice and was stranded about 50 feet from shore," according to the office's Facebook post. "... As deputy turned to walk back to the vehicle to call for help, the lab started barking in desperation."
Lake of the Woods Fire and Rescue, a volunteer unit, was called.
"He was scared and he wasn't coming back," firefighter Aaron Lovell said of the terrified pup stuck in 10 inches of icy water, according to fredericksburg.com.
Lovell put on an ice rescue suit and the team extended a ladder over the ice. Lovell pushed the ladder bit-by-bit to the hole in the ice where the dog was stuck. Lovell then crawled up the ladder to get close to the dog.
Then, the ice broke.
Lovell fell in, but was still able to grab the yellow Lab. "Lovell helped the dog onto the ladder and firefighter Jeff Leibold and Deputies Broyles and Cutone, pulled Aaron and the dog to shore," according to the sheriff's account. "The dog was soaking wet and violently shivering. The lab was taken to Lake of the Woods Veterinarian office for emergency treatment."
At 6:23 am this morning, February 2, deputies were dispatched to a residence on Rapidan Hills Road for a dog trapped in...
Posted by Orange County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Good news: the dog has recovered and he's doing great. Want better news?
Tucker, the rescued Lab, was reunited with his human! Apparently, the mischievous 12-year-old got out the night before he was daringly rescued, according to the sheriff's department.
Update The yellow lab rescued from the pond yesterday has been reunited with his owner! “Tucker”, 12 years old,...
Posted by Orange County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Maybe Tucker wanted to be famous too after he heard about the Newfoundland hound named Bobo Bear who followed a duck onto a nearby icy pond on Monday. The duck was on the ice, but Bobo Bear fell through the ice. "He clung whimpering to a patch of ice some 25 feet from shore," reported fredericksburg.com. The local heroes of Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue came to Bobo Bear's rescue. Capt. Paul Hemming was one of those heroes. He has two rescue pit bulls of his own and told fredericksburg.com that he considers himself a dog person.
Lucky for duck-chasing doggies like Tucker and Bobo Bear!
Well done rescue! Note: Firefighter Lovell is also a Lieutenant in our department (FREM).
Posted by Spotsylvania County Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management on Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Hopefully, both cheeky companions will stay home where it is warm and wait until the summer to venture back to the pond.
