It was a sad ending to a story involving thinning ice over a Toronto waterway as the weather warms up.
Officials with Toronto Fire said they responded to a search for a dog that fell through the Humber River on Saturday afternoon.
“Our crews were dispatched at approximately 4:46 p.m. to Home Smith Park at 4101 Dundas Street West for reports of a woman trying to rescue a dog that fell through the ice into Humber River,” said Toronto Fire Services Capt. Alex Vashkevich on Monday.
“Upon arrival, firefighters geared up, also blew up their (inflatable) boat, and were trying to rescue the dog. Multiple crews were responding to the incident. Multiple sweeps were done. Unfortunately we didn’t recover the dog and the search was suspended later that evening. It hasn’t resumed from that time on.”
Yashkevich didn’t know what kind of dog it was.
Toronto Police Services Marine Unit was also on the scene.
Toronto Police Const. Cindy Chung said the woman was standing safely on the east side of Humber River when they arrived.
“She reported that she was walking her dog in the park, and her dog went into the river and was swept under the ice,“ Chung said.
“We would like to remind everyone of the dangers of venturing onto ice-covered bodies of water. We urge the public to stay off the ice, as it can break unexpectedly, putting you and your pets at serious risk of falling into freezing water. If you must venture near ice, always wear a safety jacket, and take every possible precaution. Please exercise extreme caution around all bodies of water during the winter.”