VIDEO: Alpena firefighters in northern Michigan rescue dog from icy river

ALPENA, Mich. - "It's not always humans we're called to save. Sometimes it's man's best friend."

Even man's best friend needs a companion every once in a while, as was the case in Alpena Michigan last week when firefighters rescued a dog that had fallen into an icy river.

Footage from the rescue shows one emergency responder likely freezing himself being towed through the water while cradling a dog who went "completely limp from exhaustion."

"Just before he got to the dog, it gave out a crying type howl and as soon as he grabbed it, it went completely limp from exhaustion," read the Facebook post with a video of the incident.

Posted Jan. 8, the Alpena City Firefighters L623 said the dog had gone through the ice on the river. It took one of the officers breaking through a path in the ice to secure the dog safely.

After the poor pup came out of the water, it remained still but safe.

Subsequent photos posted by the firefighters showed the dog wrapped in towels and blankets designed for helping people with hypothermia.