Frantic bystanders witness rescue of dog from Charles River

The ice is thin on the Charles River at Elm Bank Reservation right now as one cold, wet, but alive dog, pictured, discovered when he ventured out and fell into the frigid water on Saturday at 12:45pm. Witnesses say that the end of a group dog walk turned dramatic when they heard the pooch’s piteous cries and followed his desperate yelps to the scene. They came upon the horrifying scene of the unfortunate dog struggling and failing to extract himself from the water.

The witnesses, who had called 9-1-1, said that one man couldn’t stand to wait and took his chances on the ice, inching his way slowly toward the dog. The man fell through and returned to shore. Next, a woman (pictured on the left) crawled out on the ice and helped the dog get out of the water and onto the ice, where he was able to make it to shore, as was the woman. Dover police were then on the scene, as well as Wellesley police.

The area where the dog fell through was along the riverside path, just before the bench, a popular area for dog walking and cross-country skiing.

“The cries of the dog were heartbreaking,” said Alla Blake, a regular Elm Bank dog walker. “The woman who saved that dog is a hero.”

“She risked her life, though,” pointed out Robert Blake.

“Yes,” agreed Alla. “People must be warned about keeping their dogs safe, especially if they have water-loving dogs who might just run out. It’s not good right now for them to just run around.”

Last year a dog named Leika was rescued by a construction worker after the pooch fell through thin ice on the Charles River near Route 9/Route 128, and Wellesley has seen numerous dog rescue attempts along the Charles in recent years (Deja vu: Wellesley Fire, Police departments rescue another dog from the icy Charles River and Wellesley firefighters, police save dog from icy Charles River).