BARTLESVILLE, Okla. -- A Bartlesville city employee lassoed a dog to safety after it nearly drowned in an icy river.
City Engineering Director Micah Siemers was taking pictures for a project at Johnstone Park on Monday.
He saw a Chihuahua and pitbull walking on the icy river, but minutes later things changed.
“I couldn't see the big dog anymore so I kind of kept peaking around these trees and I saw him through the ice struggling to get back on the ice," said Siemers.
13-year-old pitbull named Tiger is blind and deaf. He bobbed up and down in the river for about 10 minutes struggling to survive. Siemers first grabbed a branch but realized it wouldn't work.
He saw a snowflake Christmas decoration hanging from a tree in the park, and grabbed an extension cord nearby.
“Found an extension cord, made a lasso out of it real quick, threw it a few times, wouldn't work it really wasn't long enough so I went and grabbed another one,” said Siemers.
With the help of another man nearby the two pulled Tiger to safety after the lasso caught over him. The Chihuahua trotted on top of the ice and joined Tiger on land after he was safe.
After the two dogs were rescued they were brought to the Washington County SPCA. Fortunately they were both reunited with their owners and brought home within a few days.
“How lucky are we that someone was there to watch it happen, actually went and did something about it because most people wouldn't do anything about it especially for a dog," said Lexie Tinsley, Tiger's owner.
Tinsley adopted Tiger about a year ago. She says he's a survivor.
“He has been trampled by horses, he’s been ran over by multiple cars, he might’ve been run over by a tractor, his original owner told me all of this, and then he fell in a frozen river and survived," said Tinsley.
Siemers quick thinking and utilizing nearby resources saved Tiger's life, but rescuing the dog for him was a no-brainer.
“Definitely like dogs and wouldn't want to see one drown like that so I’m glad we could help," said Siemers.
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