Dog days arrive early as LS Fire Department rescues stranded dog from icy spillway

Concerned bystanders noticed a dog stranded on the Prairie Lea Lake spillway last week.

The dog was trapped between the concrete spillway’s steep banks and the lake’s partially ice-covered water.

It’s unclear how the dog, which may have fallen from the sidewalk above, found itself in such a dangerous predicament, but the great lengths the Lee’s Summit Fire Department went to in saving the animal Jan. 26 are clear.

The dog was unresponsive to calls from above, trying to get it to move.

The steep banks of the spillway and cliffs surrounding it made an approach from the frigid water the only option for first-responders.

Personnel from the Lee’s Summit Fire Department donned cold-water rescue suits and climbed aboard a Rescue Deployment Craft to reach the dog from the water.

The animal, who did not appear seriously injured but was suffering from hypothermia, was placed in a kennel provided by Lee’s Summit Animal Control before being loaded on the boat and taken to safety.

At Lee’s Summit Animal Hospital, the dog was assessed and determined to be unharmed.

The dog was subsequently identified and reunited with its owner, who said the animal had gone missing the previous night.

The fire department said the incident was a good reminder that the public should not attempt to rescue an animal trapped on ice or in a dangerous location. Instead, call 911 and allow those with special training and equipment to intercede.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Dog days arrive early as LS Fire Department rescues stranded dog from icy spillway."