Watch: Dog rescued from icy river in Montana

WHITEFISH, Mo. (WTVD) -- A daring rescue was made to save Maxx, a dog trapped in an icy river.

Officials said Maxx chased a deer onto a river in Whitefish, Montana, Monday, but the ice underneath him gave way.

Carol Martin's husband was walking Maxx and quickly called firefighters, who went into the river after the precious pet.

Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App

After about 20 minutes in the frigid water, Maxx was back on solid ground.

"The dog was pretty, pretty terrified when we first got there," said firefighter Dave Mangold. "It had frost around its mouth. The good thing is it just clung to the ice, and it wasn't trying to get itself out anymore at that point and exhausting itself, which is what people should do, as well, if you get stuck in the ice and know help is on the way."

They put Maxx into a warm truck after his rescue and tucked him into blankets at home.

And firefighters received a warm "thank you" from Maxx's owner.