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A local pooch is lucky to be alive after falling through the ice at Vancouver’s Trout Lake and being saved from drowning by a Good Samaritan.

Several other dog walkers witnessed the dramatic rescue, which occurred Friday around 11:30 a.m. Environmental activist Ben West, who was at the park with his own dog and his partner, captured photos and video footage of the incident.

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“We saw this dog out on the ice,” said West. “It had just been playing with our dog before. I was a little concerned, but just kinda hoping it would walk across to the other side.”

“Next thing you know, I looked over and this dog all of a sudden went through the ice.”

The dog, whose name is Tessa, struggled to climb up out of the water, breaking more ice each time, West said. And that’s when a woman decided to wade waist-deep into the icy water to save it from drowning and help it back to shore.

“There was a woman there who had three dogs of her own who had just shown up at the park. She didn’t seem to know anybody else there,” West said. “All of a sudden this woman just starts going out into the water to try to help this dog that was clearly in distress.”