Dog saves life of retiree who fell in Russian ice hole

Dogs -- man's best friend, and sometimes only lifesaver. 

77-year-old retiree Anatoly Chernenko was talking a walk with his dog in Chulym, Russia when he fell into an ice hole. The hunter, who was wearing a padded jacket and heavy boots, was successfully able to pull off one shoe, but couldn't quite lift himself out of the water. The dog, Dick, started barking for help. 

Thankfully, 57-year-old Vladimir Karablin, himself a hunter, heard the dogs pleas and ran over. 

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"I was on my snowmobile and suddenly saw a laika running on the lake's shore. I thought, 'Weird, what is a dog doing on wasteland?'" Karablin told The Siberian Times.

Karablin immediately recognized Chernenko when the two used to work near each other. He saw that Chernenko had "frightened eyes" and began climbing over to him on his belly. The dog began biting Karablin out of protectiveness.

"He was thinking he's protecting his owner," Karablin said. "So I had to fight with the dog and save the human. I took him out, heavy, frozen, one of his feet was in a wet woolen sock, the other one was bare, so I used the furry boot which was thrown to the shore."

Chernenko had been in the water for close to 40 minutes, but is now recovering in a hospital. Both Karablin and the dog are being considered for local bravery awards. 

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