NORTHBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - Firefighters from Northboro were honored for rescuing a woman and her dog.

On February 27, 2024, a woman became stuck in the ice and mud at Carney Park.

Within minutes, the Northboro fire department was on scene to rescue her and her pup.

“They were trapped in some mud which made it more difficult, because with Ryan out there, Ethan was tethering him, because whenever someone goes in the water, they have to be tethered to make sure they’re safe,” said Northboro fire chief David Parenti. “Dante is looking around, Chris is preparing and there was me.”

The department was ready for this moment, thanks to some timely training.

“What makes this even more remarkable, is that the Northboro fire department had completed ice rescue training just the day before,” said Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early.

The woman thanked the firefighters for calming her down during those scary moments, making sure she knew her pup was not going to be left behind.

“I will never forget how you did not make me feel ashamed, or ask why I was there,” said the dog owner Katarzyna Okopien-Strite. “It was not very smart. You were absolutely great and fantastic. Thank you so much.”

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