A dog named Bobbi that broke loose and chased geese onto a harbour ice floe was brought back to shore by Thunder Bay firefighters on Easter Sunday, after its owner narrowly avoided disaster by returning to land.
The dog’s owner, Tris Amelia, said Bobbi is a one-and-a-half-year-old Great Pyrenees and St. Bernard mix.
“She escaped our backyard by (North End Recreation Centre) and ended up behind the old mill on Shipyard Road,” Amelia told CTV News.
Amelia said a stranger spotted the dog in that area, which allowed the owners to find her after a lengthy search that afternoon.
“We searched for 2.5 hours, back and forth, yelling and crying,” she said.
Amelia’s boyfriend, Eric Beaulieu, saw Bobbi’s head emerge from the ice while they were driving near the mill.
“How he did I have no idea, she was about a kilometre out there from shore,” Amelia said.
The couple attempted to run to the dog but encountered deep snow that made it difficult to distinguish the shore from the water.
“My boyfriend and I immediately ran out to the shoreline, the snow was so deep we couldn’t tell the shore from the water, he ended up breaking through up to his hips,” Amelia said.
“He got out fine, but that’s when we knew it wasn’t safe and decided to call 911.”
Firefighters said the owners made the right call to turn back and let Thunder Bay Fire Rescue handle the situation.
Amelia said Bobbi was soaking wet but knew to stay where she was because the ice was sturdy.
“She noticed it was us and started barking like crazy, we were so distraught because we couldn’t help her,” she said.
Training evolution
Members from Stations 3 and 5 turned the rescue into a training exercise.
“Members from Stations 3 and 5 turned the call into a training evolution, executing a safe and coordinated ice rescue.”
In her messages to CTV News Amelia said she is not sure how her pet made it out to that area of town to begin with.
She said that Bobbi likely saw geese and chased them, not realizing the snow turned into thin ice.
“She must’ve made it as far as she did, fell through, got herself out and stayed put,” Amelia said.
Safely home
“The dog was brought back to shore and reunited with a very relieved owner,” the association said.
Ice safety warning
The association warned that ice surfaces are now dangerous – especially with shipping channels now open.
“Ice is no longer safe,” firefighter said.
The association went on to say ice conditions can change rapidly, with shifting, thinning and breaking possible without warning.
“Stay off the ice and keep pets leashed near the waterfront,” said firefighters.