By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
During the early morning hours of Wednesday, Feb. 3, Orion Township firefighters were called to the 900 block of Pine Avenue for the report of a dog that had fallen through the ice on Elkhorn Lake.
Owners Amy Sanchez and Jim Grossman noticed their 10 year-old husky, Opus, wasn’t around their house and began looking for him. Grossman heard whimpering coming from across the lake where Opus had walked across the majority of the lake before falling through the ice.
‘Your first thought is to go in and get him, but he was far enough away that I knew I needed to call public safety. And I am glad we did,? Grossman said.
The engaged couple called 911 and firefighters coordinated with dispatch to start the rescue at Thistle Valley and Wildflower Court, on the opposite end of the lake from the owners house. Fire Station 1 was dispatched captains Eric Florence and Daniel White, and firefighter Dave Crabtree arrived on scene to see the cold canine in the water
White put on a cold water rescue suit, and with a safety line tethered to his back, ventured 25 feet out where Opus had been stuck for nearly two hours. White grabbed ahold of the dog’s collar and helped it on to the ice. They returned safely to shore.
‘I just grabbed his collar and helped pull his hind legs out of the water and he came with me willingly,? White said. ‘I think he was happy to see anyone, even someone wearing a red suit.?
Sanchez said it took a solid day for Opus? coat to completely dry out but despite being a little shaken up, he’s doing just fine. Sanchez and Grossman said they will be looking into ways to keep their ‘escape artist? on dry land.
According to the Michigan DNR, you can’t always tell the strength of ice simply by its look, its thickness, the temperature or whether or not it is covered with snow. Clear ice that has a bluish tint is the strongest while ice formed by melted and refrozen snow appears milky, and is very porous and weak. Ice covered by snow always should be presumed unsafe as it acts like an insulating blanket and slows the freezing process. Ice under the snow will be thinner and weaker. A snowfall also can warm up and melt existing ice.
It also says to be especially cautious in areas where air temperatures have fluctuated. A warm spell may take several days to weaken the ice. When temperatures vary, causing the ice to thaw during the day and refreeze at night, the result is a weak, ‘spongy? or honeycombed ice that is unsafe.
The DNR does not recommend the standard ‘inch-thickness? guide used by many anglers and snowmobilers to determine ice safety. A minimum of four inches of clear ice is required to support an average person’s weight on the ice. Since ice seldom forms at a uniform rate it is important to check ice thickness with a spud and ruler every few steps.