Video has been shared widely on social media of a Vermont man wading into an icy river to rescue a dog
When Chris MacRitchie spotted a dog struggling to stay afloat in an icy Vermont river, he didn’t think twice.
Without hesitation, he jumped into the frigid water, wading through the icy currents to rescue the dog. Once ashore, his wife quickly wrapped the shivering animal in a sweatshirt. The dramatic rescue, which occurred Friday afternoon in Berlin, was captured on video by MacRitchie’s son and shared widely on social media.
The family first noticed the dog while waiting in the drive-thru at a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts. Upon reaching the riverbank of the Winooski River, the father of two knew he had to act.
“It was one of those moments where you make a split-second decision,” MacRitchie said. “I felt obligated to try to save the dog. I have two dogs myself, and I’d hope someone would do the same for them if they were ever in that situation.”
The video shows MacRitchie, dressed in a T-shirt, sweatpants, and boots, carefully approaching the riverbank as the dog struggles against the icy water. He calls out to the animal while his wife offers encouragement.
Stepping gingerly through the ice, MacRitchie enters the freezing river, audibly gasping from the cold as he wades toward the dog, stranded on the far side of the frozen tributary. Reaching the animal, he lifts it out of the water and carries it back to shore, handing it to his wife.
“My biggest concern wasn’t the cold—it was the depth,” MacRitchie admitted. “I didn’t know if it was two feet or twenty. When I broke through and realized it was waist-deep, I felt relief. In that moment, I thought, ‘This is cold, but manageable.’”
MacRitchie later called the dog’s owner, Morgan Cerasoli, whose phone number was listed on its tag.
Cerasoli had been searching for Arizona, her 7-year-old rescue dog, since the previous day. While on her way to pick up her daughter from school, she received MacRitchie’s call, saying he had pulled a drowning dog from the river.
“I broke down crying,” she said. “I told him, ‘Oh my God, I love you! I’m turning around right now.’”
Arizona, a mixed-breed originally rescued from the side of a South Carolina road, has since recovered from the ordeal.
After reuniting with her beloved dog, Cerasoli watched the rescue video and was overcome with emotion.
“It’s brave, selfless, and truly commendable,” she said of MacRitchie’s actions. “This kind of humanity feels rare these days, but it reminds us of what we’re here to be for each other.”