AUBURN — A dog rescued from a hole in the ice on Taylor Pond early Tuesday morning was resuscitated by firefighters, one of whom also fell through the ice.

The large dog that resembled a Rottweiler had wandered onto the pond shortly after 2 a.m., fire Chief Frank Roma said. The dog fell through a hole in the ice about 200 feet from shore near the intersection of Sandy Beach and Terrace roads, Roma said.

Local firefighters donned cold-water suits and readied an inflatable boat on shore. Ropes were attached to the rescue crew members and the boat.

Following paw prints in the fresh snow, fire Lt. Don Therrien and firefighter Julian Beale walked out to where the hole was and found the dog, unconscious in the open water. Beale slipped into the water and retrieved the dog, who suffered from hypothermia, and carried him to the boat. Therrien fell through the thin ice at one point, but managed to pull himself to the boat, to which he had been tethered.

From shore, rescue crews hauled the boat, men and dog safely to land.

Firefighters, who also are certified emergency medical technicians and paramedics, applied first aid to the dog. A Fire Department truck drove the dog to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital on Strawberry Avenue. On the way, the dog responded to attempts firefighters made to warm the dog while feeding it oxygen through a mask.

At the hospital, the dog was in critical condition.

According to a spokesman at the veterinary hospital, the dog was treated and released to its owner Tuesday morning. The dog’s owner, Catherine Clavet, declined to speak with the Sun Journal.

In a news release, Roma reminded people that ice should be at least 4 inches thick for walking and ice skating and at least 5 inches thick for snowmobiling.