A Jefferson County, Colorado deputy went into freezing waters Wednesday to rescue a dog that had fallen through the ice.
Deputy Billy Brooks secured himself to a rescue rope held by a bystander and walked into the unfrozen water close at the edge of the pond to reach the golden retriever, according to The Denver Post.
"He walked out until he was waist deep, and then hauled himself onto a shelf of ice, and began walking," Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jacki Kelley said.
Brooks continued through the freezing water, breaking the ice in his path until he entered the center of the pond.
The deputy climbed atop a large ice patch and reached under the water to grab the dog's submerged body.
At first he thought that the female dog named Cinnamon was dead as he carried her body to shore.
"He was surprised when he got the dog to shore and saw signs of life," Kelley said. "He wrapped her in a blanket and raced her to the local vet clinic."
The dog was transported to Lone Rock Veterinary Hospital, where those who treated her said her body temperature was at a critically low level.
Cinnamon has since been reunited with the family that owns her.
