An Argentine Mastiff named Max was the subject of a dramatic rescue Tuesday after he had chased a coyote onto thin ice and fell into a frigid pond in the Colorado community of Lakewood. Local firefighter Tyler Sugasaki, wearing a wetsuit and attached to a rope, crawled out onto and fell through the ice, after which Max swam to him and both were pulled to safety (see video).



Argentine Mastiffs are bred as hunting dogs but Max, at 85 pounds, was too heavy for the ice. He ended up spending 20 minutes in the water and it's somewhat miraculous that he emerged with only a few scrapes.

"He's just a rock solid dog," Michael Robinson, the dog's owner, told 9 News.

Robinson didn't dare venture out to try to save Max, because the ice was too thin to support his weight. "I just kept yelling at him, 'Come on boy,' and kept whistling. It was like a lap pool. He just kept swimming in circles."

After the rescue, a squad from the West Metro Fire Department warmed Max up in an ambulance.

As for the coyote, it seemed to have made a clean escape.