• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Dog Plunges Through Ice on Lake, Owner Chases After Him as Near-Death Experience Unfolds: Onlookers Shocked

Dog Plunges Through Ice on Lake, Owner Chases After Him as Near-Death Experience Unfolds: Onlookers Shocked

February 12, 2022
Trump Raises Tariffs On Canada, Threatens More Over Fentanyl Crisis

Trump Raises Tariffs On Canada, Threatens More Over Fentanyl Crisis

July 11, 2025
‘Perverting Perception To Distort Reality’: Chris Cuomo Rips NYT Over New Iran Strike Headline

‘Perverting Perception To Distort Reality’: Chris Cuomo Rips NYT Over New Iran Strike Headline

July 11, 2025
Trump’s Exec Order Isn’t Stopping Blue State From Radicalizing Kids

Trump’s Exec Order Isn’t Stopping Blue State From Radicalizing Kids

July 11, 2025
Texas Attorney General Declares Abortions Illegal

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Wife Files for Divorce ‘on Biblical Grounds’

July 11, 2025
CRAIG RUCKER: UN’s ‘Plastics Treaty’ Sports A Junk Science Wrapper

CRAIG RUCKER: UN’s ‘Plastics Treaty’ Sports A Junk Science Wrapper

July 11, 2025
‘Chicken Little B*tch’: Democrat Rep Resorts To Vulgarities While Criticizing  Republican Colleague

‘Chicken Little B*tch’: Democrat Rep Resorts To Vulgarities While Criticizing Republican Colleague

July 10, 2025
Tim Walz’s State Under The Microscope For Potentially Discriminatory Hiring Practices

Tim Walz’s State Under The Microscope For Potentially Discriminatory Hiring Practices

July 10, 2025
Hegseth Announces Pentagon Plan For ‘Drone Dominance’

Hegseth Announces Pentagon Plan For ‘Drone Dominance’

July 10, 2025
Trump Admin To Kill Another Massive Green Boondoggle, Hawley Says

Trump Admin To Kill Another Massive Green Boondoggle, Hawley Says

July 10, 2025
Pro-Mamdani PAC Took Donation From Islamist Cleric Who Vouched For Terror Plot Mastermind

Pro-Mamdani PAC Took Donation From Islamist Cleric Who Vouched For Terror Plot Mastermind

July 10, 2025
CASEY RYAN: Woke Universities Cave To Trump Administration

CASEY RYAN: Woke Universities Cave To Trump Administration

July 10, 2025
Reporter Tells Tucker Carlson Clues Of Chinese Takeover Of America Hiding In Plain Sight

Reporter Tells Tucker Carlson Clues Of Chinese Takeover Of America Hiding In Plain Sight

July 10, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Friday, July 11, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home FaithTap

Dog Plunges Through Ice on Lake, Owner Chases After Him as Near-Death Experience Unfolds: Onlookers Shocked

by Western Journal
February 12, 2022 at 5:35 pm
in FaithTap
250 2
0
Dog Plunges Through Ice on Lake, Owner Chases After Him as Near-Death Experience Unfolds: Onlookers Shocked
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Fritz Ratcliff of Westerville, Ohio, and his dog, Jack, are inseparable. Ratcliff considers Jack his best friend and a support dog, and Jack — well, Jack likes to run.

“Jack has one little fault, and that’s, if he’s not hooked to you, he — pew — gone, he will bolt,” Ratcliff told WBNS-TV in Columbus.

And as the two were out for a jaunt on Jan. 19 at Brooksedge Park’s “Bark Park,” Jack did just that.

Ratcliff quickly got into his Jeep to track down the wayward pup and spotted him standing in the middle of a frozen pond. His heart sank as Jack broke through the ice and struggled in the frigid water.

[firefly_embed]

[/firefly_embed]

“Just out of the corner of my eye, oh no, he is dead center in the middle of this lake, he broke through the ice, and he couldn’t get out,” Ratcliff said. “I ran down and went in. Just like that. The ice didn’t support me any more than it did him.”

Thinking only of rescuing his four-legged friend, Ratcliff himself was soon in trouble. Jack was going stiff from the cold, and Ratcliff started yelling for help.

“I remember thinking, this is it, this is … where I’m going to die,” he said. “This is it. Just like that. I just, I knew it. This is it.”

Thankfully, two men had seen the whole thing as it unfolded.

William Robinson and Arturo Avila, movers with Premier Office Movers, saw Ratcliff struggling with the dog.

“We were coming down the street, and this gentleman pulls out of a driveway and he pulls right in front of me, sort of cattywampus, parks his vehicle, jumps out of his vehicle and runs towards the pond,” Robinson said told WBNS.

While Avila grabbed straps from the back of their truck, Robinson called 911.

“We got a drowning dog,” he told the dispatcher. “We just had a gentleman jump in the water, try to save the dog, and I think he’s almost drowning.”

Ratcliff got close to the edge of the pond, and the movers were able to help drag him out. They put the dog back in the car, and they covered Ratcliff with moving blankets.

“Probably would have froze to death,” Ratcliff admitted. “Because I couldn’t, I couldn’t walk. Jack had been in the water so long, he was just laying on his side next to me.”

Westerville Police arrived a short while later, and Ratcliff found himself explaining the situation to the officer.

“He was in the water, and he couldn’t get out,” he said. “And he’s my best friend. I wasn’t going to let him drown, so I just jumped.”

After being checked out on the scene by a medic, Ratcliff was released to go back home with Jack.

He’s thankful for the intervention of his two heroes, even though they left before he could catch their names.

“I don’t know who they are, but I’m grateful that they were there,” Ratcliff said. “I’d just tell them, you know, thank you so much for stopping.”

[firefly_embed]

[/firefly_embed]

The City of Westerville is planning to recognize Avila and Robinson with a civilian award at an upcoming meeting.

“Nobody else cared, they just kept going around,” Avila said. “I figure like, maybe for being nosy, we saved somebody’s lives.”

“What more can you say, you know, it’s just one of those things that happened, and everybody came out on top,” Robinson added.

“Everybody won that day. That’s something you don’t hear or see too often, but I think that day we were all winners.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Tags: dogemergencies and accidentsgood SamaritanHeroOhioRescueU.S. News
Share196Tweet123
Western Journal

Western Journal

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th