Man and dog rescued from Lake Erie

BOWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WDIV) - A man in Michigan says he thinking of the "Golden rule" when he jumped into a freezing lake to rescue a dog.

He's  an 11-year-old walker hound named Bart, and if dogs could talk he would have quite the story to tell.

"I kept my eyes off of him just for a second."

During an afternoon walk with his owner, his hunting dog wandered away and fell through the ice on Lake Erie. His two front paws kept him from sinking in. 

"I tried to walk around to him and just too deep, and I just couldn't get to him." 

Waist-deep in the freezing water, Jim Swayze called 911 and then he called his cousin, Lance who arrived first.  
"I just wasn't thinking. I just wanted to try to rescue a friend of the family," 

With his waders on, Lance ventured out, taking a chance on every step. 

"It broke and I fell in, and I was probably about 3 and half foot deep."

He finally reached Bart who spent an hour and half in the frigid water. Lance held him close before they were rescued. 

"I was talking to him, I was trying to keep him warm. I was trying to rub him and get trying to get some blood flowing through his body."

This dog's tale comes with a happy ending.

"I kind of looked and went, 'You know what? What if it was my dog? What if it was my situation? I would hope somebody would try to do something."