For some people, their love for their pets is overwhelming. They would literally do anything for them, in some cases actually giving their life to make sure that they are safe. A California man did just that when he tried to save his dogs after they fell into a partially frozen lake.

A hike ends in tragedy

It all began on a simple hike on Thanksgiving morning. Thirty-nine-year-old David Schmidt was out hiking with his two dogs, Cheeno and Oreo. Along with them was a friend’s dog as they all walked along the banks of Lake Baron.

During the depths of winter, the lake freezes over to the point where you can skate upon it. Unfortunately, the ice was not quite thick enough on that fateful day.

As Schmidt and the dogs made their way along the lake’s edge, the dogs fell in.

Schmidt, who loved his dogs more than anything, tried to save them. It is at this point that tragedy struck. Schmidt ended up drowning.

Rescuers arrive

As for his dogs, they kept treading water before they were ultimately found by members of the Lake Valley Fire Department who had arrived on the scene in response to a call that someone had drowned at the lake.

“When we got there, we made our way down the lake and we saw the two dogs in the water,” Lake Valley Fire Capt. Perry Quinn told FOX40 News.

The dogs were safely removed from the freezing water

Donning protective gear, rescuers entered the water and were able to pull the two dogs who had fallen in out.

“It’s amazing how resilient the dogs can be,” Quinn said. “They, potentially, could have been in the water for an hour or more, we’re not sure. They were still alive and paddling when we got there.”

The search for Schmidt begins

They also found a man’s winter coat floating in the water and immediately began to search for the dogs’ owner.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, which had also responded to the call, immediately began a search for the missing Schmidt, along with other search and rescue teams.

“EDSO Dive Team, along with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Boat Team, Lake Valley Fire, South Lake Tahoe Fire, and EDSO Search and Rescue continued to search the lake the following day,” stated El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

Schmidt’s body is found

Schmidt’s body was eventually found and his family was notified. All signs pointed to the incident as being an accidental drowning. The dogs were taken to a local vet for treatment and were released to friends.

Schmidt’s death serves as a cautionary tale to never go out on your own when hiking. Most importantly, don’t attempt a rescue of a pet stuck in the water yourself. Call local authorities instead, who are more prepared to deal with such cases.

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Sources: YouTube – FOX40 News, The Animal Rescue Site