Owner Saves Her Pooch From Becoming A 'Pup-Sicle'

This will be a bright Christmas for Linda Herrera and her 5-year-old Golden Retriever, Rocky Hero.

Herrera, 47, of Corona Heights, plunged into the frozen waters of Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows - Corona Park on December 9, to rescue Rocky Hero from a certain fate as a pup-sicle, police said.

Police said Herrera was walking Rocky Hero along the lake, when he spotted some ducks squatting on a patch of ice. The dog tore his leash out of Herrera's hand and bolted toward the ducks, swimming about 30 yards into the frigid water of the 93-acre lake.

As he swam toward the ducks the ice broke, trapping him.

Herrera said Rocky Hero knows how to swim and he just goes crazy when he sees the ducks. But this time, Rocky Hero was in trouble, she said.When Rocky Hero began to whimper, Herrera, a high school swimming champ, knew what she had to do. Herrera stripped down to her tee-shirt and underwear and dove into the freezing water. "He's my dog, I love him," Herrera said. "He's everything to me."

Police said Herrera ignored the fact that the water was about 30 degrees colder than the 38- degree air temperature swimming to her dog's rescue.

Herrera reached Rocky Hero in just minutes and both were back on dry land before firefighters arrived at the scene. Herrera said she would do it again, 100 times, to save her faithful friend. "He's my heart." - Liz Goff