A 65-year-old Traverse City man who fell through the ice in Arbutus Lake Thursday in East Bay Township was rescued by local authorities - with a special assist from the man's dog, Ruby.

Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Officer (MCO) Kammeron Bennetts responded to the scene at 11:45am Thursday after bystanders on the shore called 911 saying they had witnessed the man fall through the ice. "MCO Bennetts arrived on scene and quickly took control of the situation," according to the Michigan State Police. "He grabbed the rescue disc from the back of his patrol vehicle and went out on the ice. MCO Bennetts saw the man in the frozen water."

MCO Bennetts could not reach the man due to the ice conditions. However, the man's dog, Ruby, was standing next to him. MCO Bennetts asked the man to send Ruby over to him. Ruby ran to MCO Bennetts. MCO Bennetts attached the rescue disc to Ruby’s collar and told the man to call his dog. Ruby ran back to his owner with the rescue disc. MCO Bennetts instructed the man to take the disc from Ruby and start kicking his legs.

MCO Bennetts was assisted by a firefighter from Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department as they pulled the man to safety. The man was transported by ambulance to Munson Medical Center for treatment and later released.

Thanks to the "quick actions of MCO Bennetts along with the help from Ruby," the responders were able to perform a successful ice rescue. The man was in the water for approximately 16 minutes. Other responding agencies included East Bay Township EMS, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office, and the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, according to the Michigan State Police. 

Video of the rescue was recorded and shared by the Michigan State Police here.