A Chicago man who jumped into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan in an attempt to save his dog has a jogger to thank for playing a pivotal role in his rescue.
Both the man, who is in his 40s, and his poodle are safe after they fell into the icy lake on a remote stretch of waterfront near Montrose Harbor about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune reports.
According to NBC Chicago, the man was walking with his three poodles when one of them bolted toward the lake and fell in, prompting him to follow after it.
Lynn Gerhard, a cross-country skier, called 911 after she heard the man's screams and the other two dogs' barking. The noise also caught the attention of Adam Dominik, who had been jogging nearby.
Dominik, who also is a rock climber, used a piece of twine he found and lowered to the man in the water to tie it around his dog, which was then pulled to safety, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Dominik then reportedly tied an end of the twine around himself before lowering it to the man to hold onto as he stepped in the opposite direction, partially pulling him out of the water. The man had insisted the dog be rescued first.
Police and fire officials arrived shortly thereafter to pull the man, who was suffering from severe hypothermia, out of the water the rest of the way. They told WGN the situation would likely not have had a happy ending were it not for the Good Samaritans' help.
"They were at the right place at the right time and they did the right thing and helped out," an official told WGN. "They saved a life tonight."
The dogs have been examined by a veterinarian and are recovering well.
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