A dog, a Good Samaritan and the dog's owner all rescued from a scary situation on Hinckley Reservoir

HERKIMER COUNTY- It was a scary situation, but a dog, his owner and a Good Samaritan were all rescued from the icy waters of a local reservoir last-weekend.

It all started about a half-hour before noontime on Saturday, January 13 on Hinckley Reservoir, town of Russia, when New York State DEC Forest Rangers received reports of a dog that had fallen through the ice.

According to the DEC, the owner, a 59-year-old man from Cold Brook, NY, witnessed his dog fall through the ice and acted immediately to rescue it.

He ended up taking a kayak out, which subsequently overturned.

Forest Ranger Bills was the initial responder and by the time he arrived, a 42-year-old Good Samaritan had already managed to rescue the man before going back out to get the dog.

The DEC says this Good Samaritan happened to be nearby and witnessed the whole thing unfold before acting immediately by venturing out in another kayak.

Once the man was safely pulled ashore with the use of a rope, the Good Samaritan went back out after the dog. By the time the dog was in the kayak, the Good Samaritan had become so cold that he couldn’t move.

Fortunately, emergency responders were on-scene and prepared to act.

Ranger Bills suited up in his ice rescue gear and brought a life jacket out to the Good Samaritan, before hooking the kayak up to a rope.

Newport Fire Department and members from New York State Fire brought in water technicians and a rescue boat. Responders successfully managed to pull the Good Samaritan and the dog safely ashore.

Also assisting in the rescue were members of Barneveld and Poland Fire Departments.

There were no specific injuries mentioned by the DEC at press time.

Images via the New York State DEC and Barneveld Fire Department.