This heartwarming footage shows the amazing work of a hero firefighter who crawled onto thin ice to save a dog that had fallen through into the freezing water.

Fire chief Denis Pilon shared the video on Facebook, showing a firefighter sliding to the far side of the ice while attached to two crew members via a rope. The firefighter initially fell through the ice as it broke while he grabbed hold of the dog, but managed to stay afloat and eventually got the canine's hind legs out of the water.

Both man and dog were then pulled back to safety on dry land by the rope as people on the bank shouted encouragement.

The dog struggled to use his back legs to walk once on the ground, as he had been stuck in the cold water for 30 minutes. "His back end's froze up a bit," someone says in the video, as the dog made his way regardless towards his owners. "He wants to come see his ma and pa," the person said. Police officers then wrapped the dog's rear end in a blanket to warm up.

Warning other pet owners to be careful near ice throughout winter, Pilon wrote: "STAY OFF THE ICE!!"

He continued: "Our firefighters were busy at the creek, rescuing someone's pet. They allowed their dog to run off leash when it ventured our onto the ice and fell through. Quick action calling the fire department helped save their pet. Please keep your pets and children away from the Creek, the ice is thin and it is NOT safe."

The dramatic footage was taken in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada on 28 November.

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