Rhode Island firefighters rescue a yellow Lab from an icy pond on New Year’s Day
WEST, RI — A yellow Labrador out for a walk with its owner in Rhode Island had to be rescued by firefighters on New Year’s Day after wandering onto thin ice covering a pond and falling into the center.
According to the Misquamicut Fire Department, volunteer firefighters and other emergency officials were dispatched early Thursday morning for a water rescue. Once on scene, firefighters saw a dog named Phoenix struggling and unable to move toward shore in the muddy, icy water.
Members of the Misquamicut and Watch Hill fire departments donned ice rescue suits, which help protect the body from freezing temperatures, to enter the pond and successfully rescue Phoenix. The National Weather Service reported it was 26 degrees Fahrenheit around 9 a.m. Thursday, with wind chill dropping the temperature to 14 degrees.
“It was the coldest dog I’ve ever seen in my life,” Steve Howard, deputy chief of the Misquamicut Fire Department, said in a telephone interview Friday. “The dog never made any noise. He was pretty calm.”
Although the firefighters were evaluated for possible hypothermia, they did not require treatment. Firefighters described the incident as “a successful first call of 2026,” in a statement posted on Facebook.
Phoenix was also declared injury free, but Howard made sure to check in with his owner later Thursday.
“He got a little extra food last night,” Howard said. “And he took a little nap.”
The incident served as a reminder to consider all ice as potentially dangerous, especially over bodies of water, firefighters warned.
“No ice is ever safe. Our firefighters train extensively for cold water and ice rescues, but these situations are extremely dangerous,” firefighters said.
