I have to relate this incredible story which happened over the New Year's Eve weekend. I was in Chippewa Falls on Saturday morning, when I got a call from my neighbor in Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin (about 15 miles south of the Prescott plant). He said my Yorkie, named Sassy, was outside somehow and that he was trying to catch her, as no one was home at my house. I called my wife, who was in Red Wing, MN visiting our newborn granddaughter at the hospital there. The dog had somehow gone outside while Peggy was getting ready to go to the hospital. I told her to get back home as quickly as possible as Sassy was eluding the neighbor's attempts to catch her. (I was about 80 miles from home at the time). Peggy quickly drove to our neighborhood, to discover that Sassy had run a couple of miles down a rural road, again to elude capture by the neighbor. Sassy had stopped running away temporarily, but narrowly escaped one last attempt by the neighbor to catch her. She was nowhere to be found by the time Peggy arrived, and was last seen running down a bluff into a very large bottomland marsh adjoining the Mississippi River.

My wife was joined by my son, and then by me, as we tried to call the dog. We were given entrance to the bottomland property by the owner, and walked many miles calling for her to no avail. When we gave up for the night, at 1am, a steady rain had turned to freezing rain, and then to snow. When we got up Sunday morning, the temperature had dropped below zero (F), along with a strong north wind. Our hopes for Sassy were fading fast. We had called the Sheriff and humane society on Saturday, and called them again Sunday but they had no news for us.

Sunday night was again sub-zero. The area where Sassy disappeared was full of wildlife, including coyotes, owls and other predators. My fear was she was either frozen, or eaten, by that time. No calls all day or night Sunday, and our hopes were disappearing with each hour.

On Monday afternoon I got a call from my wife, who could barely speak. Sassy had been found, and was alive. She was told to come to Lock and Dam #3 on the Mississippi to claim the dog. When she arrived, the crew at the dam showed her a video tape from the security system. In the tape, Sassy is seen walking on the river ice just above the dam. Suddenly, the ice breaks, and she is plunged into the swift and cold water. She tried to swim upstream, but was swept into the water intake of the dam. A minute later, she popped up to the surface of the water below the dam. A boat with two walleye fisherman (diehards, as the temp was only about 5 above at that time), was there. They spotted Sassy, and motored over to where she was swimming. They scooped her into a landing net, and then brought her to the dam operators who were able to warm and dry her. She was very happy to see Peggy, as you might think. Peggy was even happier. A trip to the vet confirmed that Sassy was indeed healthy.

This little house dog, who scratches at the door to be let back in the house in a few seconds if it's cold, somehow survived an ice storm, two subzero nights, in an area full of predators, only to fall into the icy Mississippi and be swept into the dam. We thank God for the two walleye fisherman and the dam employees, who were responsible for rescuing her. And for Sassy's incredible toughness and will to live.

We are hoping to get a copy of the surveillance tape from the Corps of Engineers at the Red Wing dam to share. By the way. our granddaughter Marley Marie Maxson, was born on Jan. 2, weighing 8lbs. 8 oz. Now we are doubly blessed.

Mike