Wellesley Emergency Rescue Team Pulls Dog From Icy Charles River

Photo courtesy of Wellesley Police on Facebook

Police and rescue crews didn’t hesitate before jumping into the freezing cold waters of the Charles River over the weekend in order to extract a dog that had fallen through the ice, and couldn’t crawl back to land.

On December 22, officers from the Wellesley Police Department received a “frantic” 911 call from a person who claimed their Golden Retriever, Crosby, made his way onto a remote part of the Charles River, where the ice was thin, and fell through.

Dispatchers relied on the caller’s smartphone GPS location to pinpoint exactly where they were along the river, according to police.

“This information was absolutely critical in directing responders to the correct area,” officials said in a video of the dramatic rescue, which was posted online over the weekend by Wellesley Police.

The dog was stuck roughly 50 yards off-shore, and could not crawl onto the thin sheets of surrounding ice to make it back to its owner, because it kept breaking around him.

Upon arrival, Wellesley Firefighter Dave Papazian and Wellesley Fire Lieutenant Paul Delaney wasted no time gearing up in “Cold Water Survival” suits, which allowed them to submerge themselves into the frigid waters without risking immediate shock from the cold, to swim to the dog’s rescue.

“Papazian was able to swim out, breaking the ice on the way. He was able to rescue Crosby and guide her to shore,” police said.

During the rescue, Papazian was attached to a rope as Crosby clung to his suit in order to keep his head above water, as the pair was reeled towards land by a team of responders.

Once safely on four legs along the banks of the Charles,  the five-year-old Golden Retriever, cold and shaking, was dried off and kept warm using a fire coat. Officials said Crosby was in good health, and was reunited with her owner a short time after the rescue.