A small dog who found himself stuck in the middle of an Orland Park pond, surrounded by ice, was rescued by a firefighter Thursday morning.
Neighbors spotted the animal in the pond, at Lakeside Drive and Somerglen Lane in the southwest suburb, and called the fire department, said Chief Raymond Kay.
"Chances are the animal walked onto the iced pond and then it broke and got stuck," Kay said.
Wearing an ice rescue suit, firefighter Tom Panzica broke through the ice -- about an inch thick -- to make his way to the stranded dog.
Kay said the rescue was just one of the many types of emergencies for which his department needs to be prepared.
“We do a lot more than just respond to fires. For the majority of the public, we are the only option they have in many emergency rescue situations, besides the police," he said.
The dog, reportedly named Copper, was chasing geese when he ran out onto the pond, said the dog's owner, Laura Murphy, according to WGN-TV.
