Firefighters who were given a Caribbean vacation by Ellen DeGeneres for heroically saving a dog from an icy river are forced to decline the getaway... because of state ethics laws

Four Wellesley firefighters saved a golden retriever from an icy river last month

To award their bravery, Ellen DeGeneres gave each of them a vacation to the Caribbean

The fire chief forced the firefighters to decline the vacation because of state ethics laws for municipal employees

A 5-year-old female golden retriever named Crosby was found paddling for her life 40-yards offshore

Rescuers donned cold water survival suits and leaped into the frigid river to pull Crosby ashore

Four first responders who rescued a golden retriever from the icy waters of the Charles River outside of Boston last month were forced to decline a Caribbean vacation given to them by daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres as a reward for their selfless actions, which ultimately saved the dog's life.

Wellesley, Massachusetts Fire Capt. Jim Dennehy, Lt. Paul Delaney, Dave Papazian, and Joan Cullinan each were given a bedazzled life vest with their name on it by the host, as well as a cruise through the Caribbean.

However, the heroes were forced to turn down the vacation due to ethics laws regarding gifts for municipal employees.

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Denied: Four first responders were not allowed to accept a cruise from Ellen for saving a dog because it violated state ethics laws

Grateful: The dog's owner, Amy Kapinos, is extremely grateful to the first responders for saving her beloved dog

Shocked: The firefighters were stunned when Ellen told them she was sending them on a Caribbean vacation

'It was a nice gesture on Ellen’s part and the firefighters were surprised by that, but state statute is very clear, so we FedExed the vouchers back to the Ellen show,' Wellesley Fire Chief Richard DeLorie told Boston.com.



On December 22, authorities received a frantic 911 call about a dog trapped in the ice in the Charles River.



Wellesley rescuers tracked the panicked owner's cell phone GPS data to an isolated stretch of river in the Elm Bank Reservation.



There they found a golden retriever named Crosby swimming for her life, stuck 40 yards from shore in the frigid water.

Captivating: Dramatic video shows the daring rescue of a golden retriever trapped in the icy Charles River in Massachusetts

The cell phone data 'was absolutely critical in directing first responders to the correct area,' according to a Wellesly Police release.



Five-year-old Crosby was stuck in a tiny circle of broken ice, unable to paddle to shore after unseasonably warm temperatures had thinned the previously solid ice over the weekend.

Papazian jumped into action by donning a cold water survival suit and heading straight through the dangerously cold water and ice toward the ailing canine.

The search: Wellesley, Massachusetts rescuers used GPS data to track the panicked owner's 911 call to a remote area of the Elm Bank Reservation

The rescue: Wellesley firefighter Dave Papazian (pictured) donned a cold water survival suit and dove right into the frigid Charles River. The 5-year-old golden retriever, a female named Crosby, had fallen through the ice after unseasonably warm temperatures thinned it over the weekend Team effort: Papazian was joined in the water by Lieutenant Paul Delaney, who helped pull shocked Crosby from the water with the help of ropes and rescuers on shore

Rescuers looked as soaked and exhausted as Crosby as they finally got the drenched dog onto solid footing

Delaney, too, jumped in the frigid water and dramatic footage shows him and Papazian bravely towing Crosby back to shore with the help of rescuers pulling with ropes on land.



Police said Crosby was in remarkably good shape when she got to land and footage shows her looking grateful as firefighters dried her off.



Still cold, damp and shaken, Crosby was reunited with her owner, Amy Kapinos, a short time later.

'Crosby is a big part of our family but they didn’t hesitate one second,' Kapinos said during a taping of the Ellen Show. 'I can't thank them enough.'

