Vermont man jumps into icy river to save struggling dog from certain death: 'Forever be my hero'
"This man will forever be my hero," said Morgan Cerasoli, admitting she had never expressed such profound gratitude to a stranger before.
Vermont man jumps into icy river to save struggling dog from certain death
The snowy landscape of Berlin, Vermont, witnessed a heartwarming act of heroism when a local man braved the frigid Winooski River to rescue a struggling dog.
BERLIN, Vt. – It was simply a love for dogs.
There was no hesitation, said Chris MacRitchie, who courageously jumped into the frigid Winooski River in a T-shirt to save a struggling canine from certain death.
The dramatic rescue began unexpectedly on Jan. 10 in Berlin, Vermont, along Stevens Branch. While enjoying a drive-thru snack at Dunkin' Donuts, MacRitchie said his young son first noticed the dog in the nearby river.
"To some, this may just be a man rescuing a dog, but to me, it's a man rescuing an extension of my soul!"
Despite the freezing temperatures and the uncertain depth of the river, MacRitchie knew he had to help her as he bravely waded in and pulled the shivering dog to safety.
"I wasn't overly stressing about the cold," he told FOX Weather. "But I did not know if the water was knee-high, waist-high or over my head."
The dramatic rescue began unexpectedly on Jan. 10 in Berlin, Vermont, along Stevens Branch. (Ace MacRitchie)
MacRitchie urgently pulled Arizona up the embankment. His wife, who was waiting nearby with blankets, immediately helped him get the dog into their vehicle. They soon discovered her ID tag and contacted her owner, Morgan Cerasoli, who had been frantically searching for her 7-year-old canine companion, Arizona.
"This man will forever be my hero," said Cerasoli, admitting she had never expressed such profound gratitude to a stranger before. "To some, this may just be a man rescuing a dog, but to me, it's a man rescuing an extension of my soul!"
MacRitchie urgently pulled Arizona up the embankment. (Ace MacRitchie)
Cerasoli said Arizona went outside for a potty break about 1:30 p.m. the day before and just disappeared.
"Something caught her attention," Cerasoli told FOX Weather. "I don't really know what happened, but she went on an adventure."
It was a 3-mile, daylong adventure, to be exact. Wind chills were near zero as temperatures plummeted to the lower teens while snow blanketed the ground.
Cerasoli said she had just finished searching for Arizona in the area near the river before she had to leave to pick up her daughter. Within five minutes, she received a call from MacRitchie.
The incident, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise.
A subsequent veterinary examination revealed Arizona was suffering from Lyme disease, a condition that had likely been exacerbated by the prolonged exposure to the cold water, Cerasoli said.
"She's been taking medications like a champ," she adds, noting Arizona's playful spirit is gradually returning, bringing immense joy.
The incident proved to be a blessing in disguise for Cerasoli and Arizona. (Morgan Cerasoli)
Deeply moved by the community's response to Arizona's rescue, Cerasoli and MacRitchie, who remain in contact, are humbled by the widespread impact of their story. Cerasoli, while acknowledging Arizona's resilience, credits MacRitchie as her hero.
"Chris is an amazing human being," she said. "He saved our lives because I would be a wreck right now if this girl wasn't sitting right next to me."