http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2573967/Pictured-The-moment-Coast-Guard-saves-dog-frozen-lake-surrounded-foxes.htmlSaved from certain death: The moment Coast Guard crews rescue dog frozen in a lake for days and attacked by foxes
The crew from the Bristol Bay ice cutter was searching Lake St. Clair which borders Michigan and Canada on Monday when it spotted the dog
Was surrounded by a group of foxes and had tried burrowing holes for protection but was close to death
Dog was wearing a harness and collar but didn't have a tag
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 12:21 EST, 5 March 2014 | UPDATED: 12:31 EST, 5 March 2014
The crew from a Coast Guard ice cutter have saved a dog that was frozen in Lake St. Clair in Michigan.
The ship was headed to search for any other vessels that could have been trapped in the frozen ice when they spotted a group of foxes surrounding something in the distance.
As they made their way closer to the site, they realized that a dog had become trapped in the layers of ice and was near death.
Handling with care: Two officers from a Coast Guard ice cutter came to the aid of this dog who was trapped in this ice on Lake St. Clair on the Michigan-Canada border on Monday
Handling with care: Two officers from a Coast Guard ice cutter came to the aid of this dog who was trapped in this ice on Lake St. Clair on the Michigan-Canada border on Monday
'It was cold, weak and tired. It may have been out there for a couple of days or so,' Chief Petty Officer Alan Haraf told The Detroit Free Press.
'They noticed three burrows the dog tried to dig for itself for protection. They said the paws were bleeding and the nails were pretty much down to nothing.' Three petty officers on board the ice cutter, called the Bristol Bay, packed on their cold weather gear and rescued the dog.
The dog, which the crew members nicknamed 'Lucky', was wearing a collar and harness but did not have a tag.
Making a stop: The boat was looking for stranded vessels when it spotted a group of foxes that had surrounded this dog
Making a stop: The boat was looking for stranded vessels when it spotted a group of foxes that had surrounded this dog
Once the dog was brought back on board using a stretcher, he was warmed up by the officers and fed some chicken breast.
The ice breaker headed back to Detroit from there and one of the officers took it to a local veterinarian.
The vet was able to determine that the dog was a mixed breed and about 11 years old.
It still remains unclear how the dog got out onto the ice and how he became stuck.
'Hopefully he'll find a home. He's such a darn good dog,' Petty Officer Brian Essler told The Detroit Free Press.
