Massachusetts Firefighter Rescues Dog from Icy Pond

Jan. 9, 2009
Braintree Firefighter Joe Zanca jumped into the freezing water to pull the golden retriever named Yogi to safety.

BRAINTREE, Mass. --

There were some frightening moments for a Braintree woman and firefighter Thursday after the woman's golden retriever ran out onto a partially frozen lake and then fell through the ice.

Late in the afternoon, just before 4:30 p.m., Jessica Voloudakis let her pooch outside to her back yard but the wind had blown the gate open and Yogi took off.

The 18-month-old pup bounded out onto the ice covering Sunset Lake and fell in.

"He got beyond the ice and fell in the water," Jessica's dad said.

"I thought I was going to die," she said.

She called 911 and firefighters rushed to the scene and Joe Zanca jumped into the freezing water to pull Yogi to safety.

"When we finally got out there the ice finally gave way and one of the guys went in," one firefighter said.

It took about 15 minutes to get the dog out of the freezing water, with a sled.

Both Yogi and Zanca were cold and wet but just fine after the scare, although Zanca got a scraped and bloodied chin for his efforts.

"It's cold ... It's alright. The dog's OK," Zanca said smiling.

Yogi may never remember the scare, but his owner will likely never forget it.

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