Picture this: a group of friends on a bachelor party adventure, canoeing down the Minnesota River.
The sun is shining, the water is calm, and the air is filled with laughter and camaraderie.
Suddenly, the jovial atmosphere is interrupted by an unexpected sight.
They spot a large, furry creature stuck in the mud on the shoreline.
The soon-to-be groom, Mitch White, recalls the moment in a Facebook post:
“We had been on the river for … a full day and night, and hadn’t seen anyone else. My nephew … heard a dog barking behind him and turned the canoe to see what was happening…”
The creature turned out to be an elderly St. Bernard, who had somehow ended up stuck in the mud.
“When we got to shore, [we saw he] was buried up to his neck in the thickest of mud,” White shared.
The sight of the helpless dog, trapped and alone, starkly contrasted to the joyous occasion they were celebrating.
The friends acted, using their oars to dig the dog out.
Realizing they needed more help, they dialed 911.
The Carver Fire Department was soon on its way.
The bachelor party had suddenly turned into a rescue mission.
While waiting for the firefighters, the group did their best to comfort the dog.
“We gave him water, [and] he drank about a half a gallon before stopping,” White wrote.
“[We] gave him some of our lunch meat and summer sausage we had been lunching on just before we found him.”
The men, enjoying their day, now found themselves sharing their food with a dog in distress.
Fire department captain Shaun Cox arrived on the scene after the men had dug for about 20 minutes.
He told The Dodo, “When I first saw the dog up to his back in the mud, I felt pretty bad for him, as he looked exhausted.”
Seeing the exhausted dog stuck in the mud was a sobering reminder of life’s unexpected turns.
Initially, there was some worry about how the dog, later identified as Ed, would react to their rescue efforts.
But to everyone’s relief, Ed became a friendly and cooperative fellow.
Before long, he was free from the mud and resting in a truck bed.
The men, who had started the day ready for a party, ended it as heroes.
Ed’s owner was overjoyed to be reunited with his beloved pet.
As it turns out, Ed had wandered off their property and had been missing for a day before the bachelor party crew found him.
The relief and joy on the owner’s face was a reward in itself for the men.
Captain Cox was equally delighted with the happy ending to this unexpected rescue mission.
He was thrilled that Ed was safe and back home.
The day had started as a celebration and ended with a rescue, but the joy of saving a life was incomparable.
“I was happy to see them reunited,” Cox said. “[Ed] looked a lot better the next day, after having had a bath.”
The next day, as the men nursed their sore muscles and shared their incredible story, they knew they had a bachelor party tale like no other.
Ultimately, the bachelor party had become more than just a celebration.
It had turned into a day of heroism, compassion, and unforgettable memories.
And as for Ed, he was safe and sound, back home with his family, thanks to friends willing to drop everything to help a needy dog.
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