The images are heartbreaking. A helpless dog is trapped in the ice of the River Biese in Germany. There was no escape for the poor animal. His coat was frozen solid and his eyes were vacant. Time was running out.
The dog was unable to free himself from this critical situation. It was a desperate race against time to save him from certain death.
A walker becomes his guardian angel
It was a miracle the dog was still alive. An observant man from Meseberg discovered the poor, helpless creature in the ice between Dobbrun and Kalandshofen. He didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately called the emergency services. Thankfully, the walker realised just how critical the situation was.
The cold had already made the dog's body so numb that he could barely move. “The animal is severely hypothermic and already listless,” said André Mielau, head of the public order office in Osterburg, describing the dramatic situation.
A race against time to save him
The Osterburg fire brigade rushed to the scene. Wearing protective waders, they waded into the icy river. The situation was so critical they had to gently free the dog, who was already stiff with cold, from the ice.
Once he was out, the shivering animal was wrapped in several warm blankets to stop the life-threatening hypothermia and immediately taken to the Stendal animal shelter (Eichstedter Weg 10) for veterinary care.
But a mystery remains: who does he belong to? Could he be one of the hundreds of dogs who bolted on New Year's Eve, scared by fireworks? For now, no one knows. No microchip could be read at the scene, either because he doesn't have one or the scanner was faulty. “We don't want to stress the animal any further for the time being,” Mr Mielau commented.
On social media, the story of the “ice dog” has quickly gone viral, with thousands of people sharing the appeal to find his owner.
