Caught on camera: Hopewell police rescue dog from icy pond

<p>A daring rescue of a puppy from icy waters by police was caught on camera in Mercer County.</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 20, 2017, 12:22 PM

Updated 2,455 days ago

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A daring rescue of a puppy from icy waters by police was caught on camera in Mercer County.
Hopewell Township police officers were called to the home on Dec. 15 after 1-year-old Rottweiler puppy Nisel fell through the ice of her backyard pond while out for a bathroom break.
“During the summer she used to swim on the pond and swim after the ducks,” says owner Carolyn Wooley. “I had a scary suspicion she had gone out on the pond.”
The ducks Nisel was chasing were able to get out of the water, but the puppy was not. Wooley says that she called 911, and police and firefighters were there within minutes.
Rescue workers began blowing up a rescue boat, but officers say that they soon realized that there wasn’t enough time to wait.
“I saw that the dog was in distress and in the water,” says Officer Robert Voorhees. “Having a 4-month-old puppy at home, I was so emotional at the time, I’m like ‘Look, let’s get this dog.’”
Voorhees tied a rope around his waist and crawled out onto the ice to grab Nisel. Voorhees’ partner, Officer Greg Peterson, pulled them out of the water. The rescue was recorded on Peterson’s body camera.
Local firefighters and EMTs were also on hand to help in the rescue.
Wooley says that Nisel was in the water about 20 minus before being pulled out.
The dog and the officer are both doing well.