A pair of men ice fishing on a frozen lake in Nowthen, Minnesota, were rescued with a dog last week after the ice gave way. 

At around 3:30 p.m. local time Sunday, the group fell through the ice while trying to fish and were spotted unable to reach shore.

An unnamed passerby got the men and the dog a canoe to climb into while waiting for first responders, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office said in a release Thursday.

When deputies arrived, they noticed the two men, also unnamed, had signs of hypothermia before the arrival of the ACSO Marine Unit. 

“They were starting to lose their ability to process rational thought. I was concerned that they might not fare very well if I didn’t go out immediately,” Nowthen Deputy Chris Fjeld told WCCO-TV, the Twin Cities’ CBS affiliate.

One deputy crawled across the ice with a rope tied around him, and the other deputy pulled him and the rescued men and dog back. 

“You can’t watch someone suffer. You do what you have to do. I was scared. The ice was cracking, but you just move quick,” Deputy Fjeld told local NBC station KARE.

The two men were then taken to the hospital. Law enforcement didn’t say if the dog had signs of hypothermia or what medical treatment it may have received. 

The sheriff’s office also posted video footage of the rescue on YouTube Thursday.

In its release, the sheriff’s office warned residents about going out on frozen lakes and ponds.

“The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office wishes to remind the community that the ice on some Minnesota lakes and ponds is not thick enough to walk on. By walking onto the ice when it is still too thin, you are putting yourself at significant risk of falling through and experiencing hypothermia or death,” ACSO Community Relations Coordinator Tierney Peters wrote.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.