Firefighters rescue dogs from Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - Two dogs were spared an icy end in Moses Lake by a Moses Lake Fire Department rescue crew.

At about 11 a.m. Thursday, Moses Lake firefighters were called to an area of the lake between West Broadway Avenue and Edgewater Lane, where witnesses on shore said they saw a yellow Labrador and a golden retriever running along the ice chasing birds before the dogs fell into the frigid water.

The rescue crew donned dry suits and used an inflatable boat - called a rapid deployment craft - to cross open water to get to the animals, pulling them to safety within about 15 minutes after the call came in, according to Moses Lake Fire Capt. Phil Walker.

The dogs appeared healthy after making it to shore and warming up, Walker said.

An owner was not identified and the animals were taken to the shelter.

"It worked out well, we don't want people trying to go out there and rescuing the dogs themselves," he said. "They should call us."

All members of the Moses Lake Fire Department are trained for ice rescue, according to Walker, who said the department has been called out to only a few incidents involving animals or humans in icy water in the past few years.

He cautioned people to stay off the lake, saying this year's lack of a hard freeze has made the mid-winter ice just as brittle as it typically is at the beginning or end of the season.

"It's a bad time for water conditions right now," he said. "It makes it dangerous to be out there."

Information on the rescued dogs is available by calling Grant County Animal Outreach at 509-762-9616.