An Edmonton woman is praising two kind strangers for rescuing her dog from the icy waters of the North Saskatchewan River this past weekend.
On Sunday, Wanda Wielgan, her niece and a friend went to Dawson Park with her dog, Sage.
Wielgan received a call on her cellphone and when she looked up from her phone, Sage was gone.
“I called for her. She usually has really good reaction and I called for her. She wasn’t coming and my first thought was to look down the bank into the river, because she really loves the water.”
Sure enough, Sage had gone down the river bank and was in the water.
“I don’t know if she fell in, or she went into the water,” Wielgan said Monday.
She called out to Sage, but realized very quickly that her dog was in trouble.
“I could see her just frantically struggling to get out and I could tell that she was scared,” Wielgan recalled. “I never felt so frightened and so traumatized.”
She yelled for help and two men who were passing by stopped and immediately jumped into action.
“Those two gentlemen went down the bank,” Wielgan said. “The one guy grabbed a big log and the one that was running went on his stomach onto the ice and was able to retrieve her by her collar and get her out.”
Wielgan knows how lucky she is that the men were there and able to save Sage.
“It just kind of reinstates my faith in humankind that there still are kind and generous humans out there that would risk their own lives to help even an animal,” she said. “I gave them both a hug and I said thank you for saving my dog’s life. If it wasn’t for the kindness of those two strangers, my dog would have been taken away by the current.
“I was really scared because I almost lost my dog and she’s not just a dog to me. She’s my best friend and I consider her as one of my children.”
With warm temperatures in and around the city over the weekend, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is reminding people to keep a safe distance from the river and frozen storm water ponds.
“The ice may look thick, but flowing water and fluctuating temperatures create weak areas,” EFRS said in a statement.
“Edmonton Fire Rescue Services urges Edmontonians to keep pets leashed on low-lying trails and when near access points into water. If you see someone or a pet fall through ice, call 911. Do not attempt to rescue them yourself.”
Wielgan learned her lesson. She said from now on, she’ll keep Sage on a leash and put her cellphone away.
“Make sure you’re keeping an eye on your dog at all times… All it takes is two seconds and they’re gone,” she said. “It could honestly mean heartache for the rest of your life.
“Last night I just held her a little closer and cuddled with her.”