A dog named Emma found herself on thin ice shortly after Christmas — right before the ice shattered below her, sending her into the freezing water of a local pond.
On Dec. 27, 2024, the Ravenna Township Fire Department responded to a call about a dog that had fallen through the ice on Lakewood Road in Ravenna Township, a press release for the department said.
“Upon arrival, they were met with the Portage County Sheriff’s officers, and Ravenna Township Fire called for the Portage County Water Rescue Team,” the release said. “One of our firefighters suited up in our ice rescue suit and, reaching the body of water back in the woods, was able to go out onto the ice and secure the dog, and two rescuers from the Portage County Water Rescue Team also went out onto the ice and assisted … with bringing the dog back to shore. The dog was carried to a car to warm her back up. No injuries were reported.”

The Portage County Water Rescue Team works alongside several emergency response departments, including the Milton Township Fire Department, who recently rescued a deer that fell through the ice in Milton Township on Christmas Day.
“For the dog, they were able to get a hold of the dog and hold the dog above water and get it back to shore,” PCWRT Firefighter James Taylor said. “The ice was thin that day, so as soon as they put their weight on the ice, it broke. With people in the water, they could break through and make kind of like a clear channel, so they were able to walk the dog out.”

Emma was returned to her Ravenna township owners.
A post on the Portage County Water Rescue Team’s Facebook page said it’s not advisable to attempt a water rescue in freezing temperatures on your own.
“If the ice can’t hold an animal, it surely will not hold a human,” the post read. “The PCWRT will gladly assist in these rescues as we have the trained personnel, ice rescue suits and divers that are specially trained to dive under the ice in case a would-be rescuer goes through or under the ice.”
If you find yourself in a situation where a water rescue is required, immediately call 911.