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Man smashes through ice-covered lake to rescue stray dog

We’ve shown you plenty of videos of dogs rescuing humans, but this has got to be the most impressive instance of a human returning the favour.

A video captured from the edge of the Severka River in a small town outside Moscow, Russia, shows the commitment of an intrepid hero who rescued a drowning dog from an ice-covered river.

The video was taken by local resident Ilya Dvorenkov, and shows the hero using his forearms to hammer through the ice while wading toward the hapless canine. Dvorenkov originally thought the dog was a human, but that the realization didn’t stop the hero, who battled through the sub-zero water like it was nothing.

In an even more heartwarming turn, the dog was a stray, and found a new home with the rescuer, who adopted it. Now named Rex, the dog has a new lease on life, and a warm home to boot. Not bad for a simple mistake.

Always be very careful when interacting with frozen rivers in the winter, as they resist freezing due to the constant flow of water.

Much respect to the stamina of this rescuer, but if you want to see an even more spectacular aerial dog rescue, check out this dog that was rescued from a cliff face.