‘Fell in love with him instantly’: Saskatoon firefighter adopts dog he saved during icy rescue

After rescuing a dog from the icy South Saskatchewan River, a Saskatoon firefighter has a new best friend. Keenan Sorokan has the story.

Nathanael Crohn always wanted a dog of his own after growing up surrounded by animals as a child.

After contemplating the decision, the Saskatoon firefighter took an icy rescue from the South Saskatchewan River earlier this month as a sign.

Crohn and other members of the water rescue team were called to retrieve a dog standing in the middle of the frozen river on Dec. 12, the coldest day so far this winter as temperatures were between -30 C and -31 C that afternoon.

“We tried calling out to him, and he was just sitting in the middle of the river, just shivering and scared and not moving from the spot,” Crohn said.

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Firefighters were tethered to a rubber inflatable boat and tethered to shore, slowly inching closer to the dog on the thin ice.

Using a leash given by onlookers, Crohn was able to get close enough to the dog, put the leash on, and get him on the boat. The three-year-old pitbull-boxer mixed breed was taken back to the fire hall to warm up.

“You can tell he’s a good boy. He cuddled up to me right away, and I want a good lap dog,” Crohn said. “I fell in love with him instantly.”

A local animal shelter was called to take the dog, but no owners came forward, which put the dog up for adoption, and Crohn didn’t hesitate.

“He was pretty hesitant to new spaces, but he’s getting more confidence,” Crohn said. “There’s a lot of training that still has to get done, but he’s behaving really well and he’s made himself right at home.”

Crohn decided to name the dog Stryker, after the boat used to rescue him. The two have spent less than a week with one another, but Crohn says his new best friend is gaining confidence every day and has already made himself at home.

“As soon as I stand up, he goes straight to the door expecting to go for a walk. He’s loving his walks,” Crohn said.

After finding him standing on thin ice, Stryker is now thriving in his new home and providing a morale boost to the fire hall.

“Everyone loves the dog so far,” Battalion Chief Dwayne Jobson said. “It’s been pretty good.”

Crohn says Stryker has turned into somewhat of a celebrity. Everyone at the fire hall frequently asks about him. Crohn says he occasionally picks up shifts as a paramedic, and now people working at hospitals in Saskatoon have heard of Stryker and ask about him as well.

Crohn plans to get another dog at some point, but for now he says he’s putting all of his time and energy into Stryker, and the new bond formed between them.