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Ottawa Fire Services are redoubling their messaging efforts to try to keep humans and pets off river ice in the capital region.
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Ice rescue teams responded to a 911 call Wednesday morning from a pet owner whose dog went through the Rideau River near the Manotick marina in Ottawa’s south end.
The dog was able to “self-rescue,” clambering back onto the ice just as the teams arrived.
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The dog was not injured.
“It’s warm weather today, so please remember” OFS’s slogan: “No Ice Is Safe Ice,” OFS spokesman Nick DeFazio said in a Dec. 11 news release.
Despite the positive outcome in this case, DeFazio said the waterways in the area remain dangerous.
Last week, firefighters responded to three ice rescues involving dogs, including an elderly woman who was treated for hypothermia symptoms after falling into a pond near Stittsville after trying to pull her dog from the water.
“If your pet falls through the ice, never go out to try to rescue them,” DeFazio said in an email.
The best strategy for your pet’s safety, and your own, “is to keep a visual on your pet and call 911.”
The specially trained ice rescue teams are strategically posted near waterways in the capital and have quick response times, DeFazio said.
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