A heroic firefighter has been showered with praise after coming to the rescue of a cheeky dog who had plunged into freezing cold waters while chasing a bird.
Watson, a golden retriever, became trapped in the ice-covered pond after chasing a goose in Centennial, Colorado.
But one brave firefighter came to the rescue of the dumbfounded pooch - whose antics could have gone very badly wrong.
A tense yet ultimately heartwarming video shows Armstrong coming to the mischievous pooch's rescue, carefully making his way over the perilously thin ice to reach poor Watson, all while holding onto a rope.
After getting close enough to Watson, brave Armstrong then jumps into the icy water and grabs the dog. One onlooker can be heard remarking: "He's happy to see you".
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A brief splashy struggle ensued as Armstrong launched the panicked dog onto solid ice, pushing him up from underneath as his colleagues offered words of encouragement.
Once all four paws were firmly on solid ground, Watson took a few steps before giving himself a good shake. He then headed over to the relieved emergency services personnel, tail wagging contentedly as he was showered with pats and strokes.
The heroic rescue was carried out by the South Metro Fire and Rescue on the morning of January 31, with the footage shared on Facebook.
In a post that has clocked up more than 2.9K likes at the time of writing, the team praised the efforts of Firefighter Armstrong remarking that the rescue had taken place in "the same spot where a woman and her dog were rescued by SMFR just 5 days ago".
The post continues: "The dog chased after geese and couldn’t escape the frigid water, an accident that can happen even when dogs are leashed. Do not attempt to rescue a pet in distress. The dog's owner did the right thing by staying onshore and calling 911!"
Those in the comments section have expressed great admiration and gratitude towards Armstrong and the rest of the team, with one person writing: "Thank you for all you guys do! Especially for saving this sweet boy!"
Another applauded: "Thank you for all that you do, this is truly amazing! That doggie is so lucky you came to its rescue!"
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