WELLESLEY, MASS. (WHDH) - Firefighters in Wellesley pulled a man and his dog to safety after falling through ice on Lake Waban Sunday around 5 p.m.

Police say the dog ran out onto the frozen lake and the owner ran after to rescue it.

The two then fell through the ice.

Firefighters responded quickly, putting on their rescue gear.

“They crawl out on the ice, because if you walk on it, you might break it,” said Matthew Corda, Wellesley Deputy Fire Chief. “They crawl to the person, get in behind them, carry them, life them out of the water, and then use the hand winch to pull them to shore.”

Once he was pulled to safety, firefighters went to rescue the dog, named Tommy.

Deputy fire chief Corda says that had it’s own challenges.

“Obviously, the human wants to get rescued, so they come to you, but the dog does the opposite. They don’t know who you are, why you’re there, why you’re wearing all this gear. So they head the other way. So it takes a little more effort,” said Corda.

Tommy was taken to the veterinary group in Newton to be treated for hypothermia.

“The police officer quickly ran the dog in,” said Allan Heuerman, emergency doctor. “It was very cold and shivering… We triaged him, stabilized him, slowly warmed him up.”

The man and Tommy are back home, and their family says, both are doing well.

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