Woman Jumps Into Ice-Cold Water After Her Dogs Fall Into Lake Michigan; Rescued

A woman and her dogs were pulled out from an icy lake after they fell in during their morning walk in Chicago, Illinois.

The 54-year-old woman, whose identity was not released, was out walking her two dogs along Lake Shore Drive when the incident took place at around 8 a.m. Tuesday.

When her two small dogs fell into Lake Michigan near Edgewater Beach on the Far North Side, the woman jumped in after them and attempted to rescue them, ABC 7 Chicago reported.

Witnesses called for help, prompting emergency responders and Chicago firefighters to respond to the scene. The dogs and the woman were safely rescued in time.

The woman suffered hypothermia because of the cold but was said to be doing okay. She refused medical treatment at the scene.

The two dogs were also doing fine and were wrapped up in towels in a police squad car after being pulled out of the lake.

"This guy was frozen. I'm trying to warm them up as best I can," a Chicago police officer at the scene told the outlet as he gestured toward the dogs. "And this guy, too. But he's a little bit more hearty."

Some reports said the woman jumped into the lake after only one of her two dogs fell in.

Officials took the opportunity to remind people to be careful around ice and water during this season.

"When people are walking their dogs by the lake, stay the furthest away from the edge because there's so much ice," the officer told ABC 7 Chicago. "That's exactly what happened to this lady. She had less than a minute to go. This dog was frozen solid. We had to bring them back. There's pathways that you can walk. Don't walk to the edge ... "

Jason Lach, the deputy district chief in charge of marine operations with the Chicago Fire Department, said "everything is slippery" during this time of the year.

"It might not look like it, may not seem like it. Watch where you are walking," he told NBC Chicago.

Accidents and tragedies can be avoided by staying 20 feet away from the water and by using the running or walking trail instead of the bike path, Lach said.

He also noted that the fire department responds to about eight to 10 reports in a month related to people in water or ice.

"People are more apt to go after animals in the water especially this time of year and we have to come out and make sure everybody is safe and secure," Lach told the outlet.

Time is also crucial in such incidents because of the freezing temperatures.

"The water temperature right now is about 40 degrees, hypothermia will set in about three to five minutes if you are in this kind of water," Lach added.