Three Michigan firefighters used rope and their wits to rescue a 90-pound retriever that fell through the ice about 100 yards from shore on a western Michigan lake.

Wearing ice rescue gear and tethered together, they carefully walked onto White Lake in Muskegon County's Whitehall and hauled the dog to safety.

White Lake Fire Chief Gregory Holman said the dog was unable to drag itself from the hole in the ice and was in distress when firefighters reached it Wednesday morning.

Holman said his firefighters will do their "best to rescue" a "family pet, like a dog."

The 14-year-old dog was given to an area shelter and its owner was later located. Shelter owner Lana Carson said the dog "kind of wandered off and found itself on the ice."