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Trooper on way to work spots frantic dog on ice — so he grabs paddleboard and jumps in

New Jersey State Police trooper Michael Betz is seen rescuing a dog from a lake Feb. 27. The animal had gotten stuck on the ice.
New Jersey State Police trooper Michael Betz is seen rescuing a dog from a lake Feb. 27. The animal had gotten stuck on the ice. Jefferson Police Department

A trooper was headed to work when he saw a frightened dog trapped on an icy lake in New Jersey, authorities said.

Michael Betz saw the animal at 12:56 p.m. Feb 27 as he was going to the New Jersey State Police Lake Hopatcong substation, troopers said in a March 14 Facebook post.

He pulled over and tried to call the small dog to the shoreline, but it wouldn’t budge, troopers said.

At one point, the dog fell through the ice and struggled to stay above water before finding a rock to stand on in the lake, troopers said.

So he put on a drysuit and found a paddleboard to rescue the animal.

Betz jumped into the water, put the cold animal on the paddleboard and helped it to safety, troopers said.

The dog named Georgy was returned to its owner.

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This story was originally published March 14, 2024 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Trooper on way to work spots frantic dog on ice — so he grabs paddleboard and jumps in."

Helena Wegner
McClatchy DC
Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.
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