An adopted dog who had difficulty adjusting to her new home had a terrifying moment when she was stranded in the middle of a frozen river. The 3-year-old labradoodle named Lucy was taken in by a family after a long stint at the shelter but it seems that her mischievous and free spirit prompted her to run away from her.

Although animals have a certain instinct in the face of danger that humans may not have, it seems that this characteristic failed this dog because her moment of fun ended in tragedy.

Lucy ran away from home and began exploring the neighborhood she lives in, which is located northeast of the Detroit River. At that moment the great mass of water was frozen and the dog began to play, until the cold structure broke.

It is not known exactly how long she was in that predicament, but luckily a neighbor spotted her in the distance and immediately called the emergency service. City firefighters immediately responded to the call and went to the scene to save the dog.

When they arrived, Lucy was very far from the shore and for this reason it was necessary for the team to plan a maneuver to reach her.

The piece of ice on which the dog was sailing had separated more than 15 meters from the shore and the United States Coast Guard also had to intervene, since they were the most prepared team for an emergency like that.

The hero Derrek Azzopardi was the one who starred in the rescue, getting as close as he could to the dog and using a kind of pole to hold her and bring her to safety.

It was a moment of heartbreak for everyone except Lucy’s family who had no way of knowing that the dog had ended up in the river.

They were innocent of the danger that the hairy girl was in and of the entire rescue operation that was put together that day to save her life.

After a few failed attempts, the maneuver worked and this hero was able to reach the dog and take her alive to the mainland. Once out of the river, Lucy was bundled up in blankets and checked by a vet.

At that moment, the neighbor who had reported the animal in distress recognized that Lucy was a community dog and helped contact the family.

Thanks to a whole wave of solidarity, this canine managed to return home. Although she had escaped from the place, there was no one else to protect her better at that moment than her new family.

Although Lucy enjoys walks to the park, she has learned not to leave the house alone, much less expose herself to this kind of danger. This little girl managed to get out of the predicament safe and sound, thanks to her neighbor and the team that participated in the rescue.

To everyone who makes these stories possible, thank you very much. Every animal in distress deserves our help, please, let’s not leave them alone.