Tragic: Duck Hunter Drowns Trying Save His Dog In North Dakota

This one really hits home to me because I have been in this situation before.

Duck hunting in November can be dangerous not only for hunters, but it can also put your dog in some precarious situations. The danger I'm speaking of is when ice forms on lakes or sloughs, which frequently happens in North Dakota this time of year. Anytime you get morning lows in the teens or 20s, ice will begin forming on bodies of water. This can present several different challenges that can turn deadly if you are not careful.

A Minnesota man is dead after trying to save his dog in icy waters in south-central North Dakota back on November 12th.

According to an article on KARE 11 in the Twin Cities, 30-year-old Christopher Hendricks from Champlin, Minnesota, sent his dog to retrieve a duck in a slough north of Ashley, North Dakota, when the dog became trapped in a sheet of ice about a hundred yards from shore. Hendricks immediately removed his hunting clothes and jumped in to save his dog.

(SEE ALSO: 5 North Dakota State Fish Records that may NEVER be broken)

Hendricks reached his dog and freed the pup, then swam back to shore when his hunting partner, Maxwell DiVenere, noticed Hendricks was in distress and swam out to assist. DiVenere held on to Hendricks, but he ended up slipping below the surface of the murky waters. Both the dog and DiVenere made it back to shore safely.

Unfortunately, these heroic actions didn't have a happy ending. 

911 was called, and the Ashley Fire Department recovered Hendrick's body 24 hours later.

As I stated earlier, this is something I can so relate to. Over the years, I have had at least a couple of close calls with ice and my dogs. I've learned that no duck is ever worth the life of your dog or yourself. I avoid situations where ice can become a tragic situation.

Our thoughts and prayers go out this this hunter and his family and friends.