Dog Stranded on Icy Detroit River Rescued Thanks to Quick-Thinking Fishermen
Cedric Humphrey and his uncle Walter Cross were out fishing early on Sunday morning on the icy Detroit River when they spotted an animal they weren’t expecting to see. It wasn’t a fish, but a white Siberian Husky standing alone on an ice sheet.
The dog was near the Gordie Howe International Bridge. The two men tried to maneuver their boat closer to rescue him, but the pillars were too tight to safely get through. They contacted The Karens, a local dog rescue, and co-founder Chantal Rzeźnicki and her team quickly headed down to the river.
Chantal believes the dog likely jumped down when the river was fully frozen. But in recent days, warmer temperatures caused the ice to melt, leaving the Husky stranded and unable to get back out safely.
Because a fence surrounded the area, Chantal contacted the Michigan Humane Society. Authorities needed to be alerted, and soon a coordinated team of first responders from the Detroit Police Department, Detroit Fire Department, and Detroit Animal Care and Control assembled and returned early the next morning.
Rescuers lowered a ladder down into the river and worked to coax the frightened dog out from inside the culvert where he had taken shelter.
After several tense hours, one of the responders was finally able to get a hold of him.
The 2-year-old Husky was hoisted to safety, and rescuers were relieved to have him in their arms as he had begun showing signs of hypothermia.
The dog is now recovering at the Michigan Humane Society, which thanked the community and first responders for coming together to save a dog in need.
Pupdate:
The dog rescued near the Gordie Howe Bridge on Monday is now named Gordie. Michigan Humane Society shared an update two days after his rescue:
“Gordie has been receiving ongoing medical and behavioral support at our Mackey Center for Animal Care. Following additional medical examinations, it was determined that he is older than originally estimated — most likely around 7 or 8 years old. Despite his exposure to the harsh winter elements, he is recovering well and continues to make steady progress under the care of our medical and behavior teams.”
“His recovery journey is ongoing, and he remains in dedicated, compassionate hands every step of the way. We will continue to share updates as they come. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with kind words and well wishes for Gordie and our team.”