Dog struggling in 8-foot waves rescued from Lake Superior

Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Minnesota came to the rescue of a dog seen struggling in the frigid waters and rough waves of Lake Superior.

The Duluth Fire Department said crews responded to a report of a pit bull who had broken free from his leash and jumped into the lake near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge.

"Upon arrival crews found the callers on the south pier on the lake side of the bridge," the department said in a Facebook post. "Rescue 1 crew members met with the owners of the dog who pointed out where the dog was. The dog was struggling in 8-foot plus waves in the middle of the ship canal."

Rescuers donned ice rescue suits to protect them from the frigid waters and headed out to find the canine, but had difficulty keeping track of the canine "due to the large waves and limited light."

"The dog was also dark in color and kept slipping below the surface making him difficult to find," the post said.

Firefighters on shore and the dog owners used portable lights to help direct the firefighters, who were then able to grab hold of the animal's collar.

"The dog was large, scared and was struggling which added to the difficulty" of the rescue, firefighters wrote.

The department's 14-foot inflatable rescue boat, Marine-3, arrived on the scene and was able to pluck the dog and his rescuers out of the lake.

"The boat was driven to the back side of the South Pier Inn where the water is calmer and more protected. The dog who was completely exhausted was reunited with his owners and was treated by DFD crews for exposure," the post said.

Firefighters drove the dog and his owners back to their vehicle.

"He had stopped shivering, was able to walk on his own and was waging his tail as he jumped into his owner's car," the department said.