Blind Dog Paddles for Hours Before Rescue
Owner says old Ralph must have gotten confused
Lynn Bucko-Young
When Ralph was younger, he would jump into the water off the seawall in front of the Krutsches' house.
Ralph is an old dog. He wasn't exactly trying to learn new tricks when he got stranded in the middle of Lake Bluff in Antioch last week.
In fact, his human companion, Marjorie Krutsch, said she thinks he got confused, ending up in the lake and -- since he's blind and can barely hear -- he just couldn't figure out how to reach land.
"I was outside gardening, when I looked up and he was gone. I called and started driving around. I was just panic stricken," Krutsch told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Lake County Sheriff's Marine Patrol's Lt. Bert Foster said the old black Lab was reported to have been swimming around in circles for two hours before he was rescued. A boater called for help after spotting Ralph, 13, in the water.
Two retired Chicago police officers who work for the county's marine unit responded.
"They strapped a life vest onto the dog and a rope and then led it to shore," Foster said. They were able to find Krutsch through the Animal Care Center of Lake Villa.
Reunited with his people, Ralph is fully recovered from the trauma, although Krutsch said, "The poor thing laid around for two days."
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