A recent incident involving a dog falling through ice in Airdrie is reinforcing the Airdrie Fire Department's (AFD) reminder to stay off frozen canals and storm drainage ponds this winter.
A press release from the City of Airdrie indicated that on Dec. 2, AFD crews were called to respond to a service call in the 1100 block of Channelside Drive SW, in the neighbourhood of Bayside. According to Acting Deputy Chief Mike Pirie, the crews were advised on the way to the incident that a pet dog had fallen through the ice into the canal waters.
Upon arrival, he said AFD members found a dog submerged in the water approximately 20 meters from the shoreline, at times going under the surface and unable to get out. A rescuer using specialty equipment and an ice rescue suit was able to quickly remove the dog and reunite it with its owner who was on scene, according to a City of Airdrie press release.
“All of our staff are trained in ice rescue, so they had a rescue truck come from the Chinook Winds station to help them out,” Pirie said.
The dog was taken into a home to warm up and appeared to be in good condition, according to the City.
Pirie added the incident highlights a public safety message that AFD espouses annually at this time of year – that walking on frozen, natural bodies of water is dangerous, whether you have two legs or four.
“The bottom line is, if it’s not made for skating on, which is a skating rink, then you should not go on the ice,” he said. “If a dog will fall through, a person will, no problem. You can’t tell how thick the ice is by looking at it.
“Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean it’s safe to be on the ice.”
