They were going through the Dunkin' drive-through when they spotted a dog struggling to stay afloat in a icy Vermont river,--but Chris MacRitchie never hesitated.
He jumped into the frigid waters and waded over to the dog, gently pulling it ashore, where his wife draped it with a sweatshirt. The dramatic rescue on Jan. 10 in Berlin was caught on video by his son and was shared widely on social media.
When they reached the embankment of the Winooski River, the father of two felt he had no choice but to save the pooch.
“It was like one of those moments everyone probably has in their life like you’re going to make a decision,” MacRitchie said. “I felt I was obligated to at least try to fetch this dog out of the river, as I have two dogs myself, and I would hope someone would do that for them if they were in that spot.”
The video shows MacRitchie — dressed in a T-shirt, sweats and boots — approaching the embankment as the dog struggles to get out. He calls out to the dog, and his wife can be heard encouraging him to rescue it.
MacRitchie gingerly steps through the ice and into the river, audibly gasping as he wades toward the dog, which was on the other side of the frozen tributary. MacRitchie lifts the dog out of the water and onto the icy embankment. He carries it over to his wife. Watch!
Photo: FLORENT VERGNES / AFP / Getty Images