Dog Keeps Barking During Walk, Owner Follows Him To Frozen Pond And Shrieks

A 22-year-old Malden man is grateful to a vigilant dog for getting him help in a crisis situation.

Diesel the 5-year-old German Shepherd and his owner, Thomas Walsh, were strolling past the woods in Stoneham, Massachusetts, but Thomas was shocked to see Diesel tugging at him and barking frantically out of the blue, so he decided to investigate.

As Diesel led Thomas toward the Quarter Mile Pond, Thomas began hearing the faint distressed cries coming from the frozen pond.

He soon discovered a man splashing through cracked ice and calling for help from the frigid water. The man was desperately panicking over his failed attempts to escape, and Thomas knew he had to act fast.

Thomas called 911 as he begged the man to calm down. As jumping into the water was too risky, Thomas coaxed the man to stay low and crawl to the shore.

Another bystander joined him soon after. Together, they were able to drag the exhausted man out with the help of a tree branch.

The Stoneham Fire Department responded to the scene with a team of divers and ice sleds. But thanks to Diesel and the 2 locals, the man was out of the pond by then.

The man reportedly fell through the thin ice while riding a mountain bike across the pond. He is now getting treated at the hospital for critical hypothermia, and is expected to recover soon.

The firefighters are calling Diesel the ultimate hero who saved the day, as he was the one who detected the distress cries and acted upon it in the first place.

They have also praised the 2 bystanders for calling for help instead of jumping into the dangerous water. What a brilliant rescue!

Click the video below to watch how Diesel and the locals used their presence of mind to save the drowning man.

h/t WCVB-TV Boston

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