An elderly man was rescued from the icy waters of a Michigan lake with the help of his pet dog, who assisted authorities in the rescue.

Michigan State Police, in a news release, said that authorities responded to a 911 call around 11:45 a.m. on Thursday for a 65-year-old man, who fell through the ice in Arbutus Lake. Bystanders on the shore, who witnessed the man fall through the ice, alerted authorities of the situation.

Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts was among those who arrived on the scene and sprang into action, grabbing the rescue disc from the back of his patrol vehicle and going onto the ice. However, he was unable to reach the man due to ice conditions.

Ruby to the rescue

While the elderly man, whose identity has not been revealed, was in the water, his dog Ruby was next to him. When Bennetts couldn't reach the aided due to the conditions, he asked the man to send his pet over to him.

Ruby ran towards Bennetts, who attached the rescue disc to Ruby's collar, and asked the man to call her back.

When Ruby ran back to her owner with the rescue disc, Bennetts guided the man on how to use the rescue disc. Bennetts instructed him to take the disc and start kicking his legs.

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Eventually rescuers on site, including MCO Bennetts, were able to the pull the man to safety, who was then transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. He was later released, said the police.

Police said that the man was in the water for approximately 16 minutes.

Located in northern Michigan, Arbutus Lake is approximately 250 miles from Detroit.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.