BERNE — “Rescued dog” took on new meaning on Jan. 27.

Two dogs had fallen through the ice on Thompsons Lake on that Friday, and Environmental Conservation Officer Michael Hamelin responded to the call, according to a release from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, which said events unfolded this way:

One of the dogs had freed itself from the water while the other, a German shepherd, was trapped in the broken ice.

Hamelin, who is a member of the state’s Flood Incident Strike Team, a multi-agency team trained in swift water, ice, and rope rescues, put on water-rescue gear and entered the frigid waters.

He pulled the shepherd from the freezing waters and then Albany County Sheriff’s deputies returned the dog to its owners. 

New York State Park Police and the East Berne fire Department also helped in the rescue.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer