THIEF RIVER FALLS (trfnews.i234.me) – A Thief River Falls man was rescued from the Red Lake River on Thursday afternoon after falling through the ice while trying to save his dog.
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office reported that the man, identified as Archer Anthony Jr., was pulled from the icy water at about 4:37 p.m. Thursday. The 911 caller said Anthony had gone onto the river ice to rescue his dog when he broke through about 50 feet from shore.
Anthony was unable to pull himself back onto the ice and was struggling in the water when law enforcement arrived. A responding deputy crawled partway onto the ice and threw a rescue disk attached to a rope. Anthony grabbed the disk, and the deputy pulled him onto the ice and then to shore.
Sanford Ambulance staff checked Anthony at the scene. He appeared to be uninjured, according to the sheriff’s office. His dog, which he had been attempting to rescue, was also unharmed.
The Thief River Falls Police Department and Thief River Falls Fire Department also responded.
Ice conditions can vary quickly, even early in the winter season. Officials urge residents to use extreme caution near rivers and to keep pets away from unstable ice. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides safety guidelines for early-season ice conditions, which can be found on their website at the DNR Ice Safety Page.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Glad all are ok, quick thinking all around.