Vermont

Man’s dramatic rescue of dog from freezing river in Vermont caught on video

Published

1 year ago

January 18, 2025

Man’s dramatic rescue of dog from freezing river in Vermont caught on video

Spotting a dog struggling to stay afloat in an icy Vermont river, Chris MacRitchie never hesitated.

He jumped into the frigid waters and waded over to the dog, gently pulling it ashore where his wife, Erica, draped it with a sweatshirt. The dramatic rescue of the dog Friday afternoon in Berlin, Vermont, was caught on video by his son and has been shared widely on social media.

This video provided by Chris MacRitchie shows Chris MacRitchie rescuing a dog from the Winooski River as he is recorded by his son Ace MacRitchie on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 in Berlin, Vt.

Ace MacRitchie via AP

MacRitchie’s son, Ace, first spotted the dog as they were going through the drive-thru of a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts. When they reached the river embankment, the father of two felt he had no choice but to save the pooch.

“It was like one of those moments everyone probably has in their life like you’re going to make a decision … either trying to get in the water and help her or the alternative,” MacRitchie said. “So, I felt I was obligated to at least try to fetch this dog out of the river, as I have two dogs myself, and I would hope someone would do that for them if they were in that spot.”

Dog Rescue Vermont — This video provided by Chris MacRitchie shows Chris MacRitchie rescuing a dog from the Winooski River as he is recorded by his son Ace MacRitchie on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 in Berlin, Vt.

Ace MacRitchie via AP
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The video shows MacRitchie — dressed in a T-shirt, sweats and boots — approaching the river embankment as the dog struggles to get out. He calls out to the dog at first and his wife, Erica, can be heard encouraging him to rescue it.

MacRitchie gingerly steps through the ice and into the river, audibly gasping as he wades about 20-feet toward the dog, which was on the other side of the frozen tributary of the Winooski River. His wife repeatedly shouts “c’mon” to the dog and exclaims “Oh, my God” as MacRitchie lifts the dog, later identified as Arizona, out of the water and onto the icy embankment. He carries it over to his wife.

“The only real stress I had about it wasn’t getting in the cold water. It was the depth. I did not know if it was 20 feet deep or it was 2 feet deep,” MacRitchie said. “When I broke through and I got on my feet and it was like waist high, I was actually relieved by that. In my mind, during the moment, I thought, OK this isn’t that bad. Yeah, it’s cold, but I feel this is a very doable situation.”

After retrieving the dog, MacRitchie called the dog’s owner, Morgan Cerasoli, whose number was listed on the dog tag.

Cerasoli said she had been looking for her dog, a seven-year-old mutt who had originally been rescued from the side of the road in South Carolina, since Thursday. She was heading to pick up her daughter from school, when she got the call from MacRitchie who said he had “pulled a drowning dog” out of the river.” He wanted to confirm it was her dog.

“I started crying, and I told him, oh, my God, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you. Let me pull a U-turn and I’m coming right back,” she said, as she sat beside Arizona during an interview. She said the dog has mostly recovered, though a checkup did find it was suffering from Lyme disease.

After reuniting with her dog, Cerasoli said she saw the video and was brought to tears again — over MacRitchie’s exploits as well as the poor condition of Arizona in that moment.

“It’s brave, it’s selfless, it’s commendable. It’s everything that I think that we were on this Earth to be,” she said of the rescue. “Sometimes it feels like that’s very rare these days.”

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Vermont

Spring-like days ahead, but the risk for additional river ice jams and flooding will continue.

Published

7 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Spring-like days ahead, but the risk for additional river ice jams and flooding will continue.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – It was a pleasant Sunday with spring-like temperatures, but it also resulted in a few ice jams in rivers, which happened earlier than expected. The Ausable, Mad, Missisquoi and Great Chazy rivers flooded today due to ice jams. These rivers will recede tonight as temperatures get close to, or below, freezing. However, new ice jams may form, and additional rivers may flood on Monday as highs get even warmer. Expect partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. The wind may gust as highs as 40 mph. This will continue to support rapid snowmelt, which will run off into rivers and other bodies of water. Remember to never cross any flooded roads, and avoid going near river banks.

The threat for ice jams will continue into Thursday. A backdoor cold front may touch off a few showers on Tuesday, otherwise it will be partly sunny with highs ranging from the 40s north to the 50s and low 60s south. Computer models continue to bring a low pressure system in our area on Wednesday. It’s continuing to look a little warmer, though the heavier rain is now inching farther into Canada. That said, some rain is likely, and high temperatures will be at least in the low 40s, and may reach the 50s in southern parts of the region. Morning rain on Thursday will change to afternoon snow. A few inches accumulation is possible. Early highs in the 30s will fall through the 20s by afternoon, and overnight lows will be in the teens and low 20s, so everything will freeze up.

Friday will start off with some sunshine, then another, weaker system could bring a light rain/snow mix late in the day and overnight. A few inches of snow can’t be ruled out. A return to more seasonable temperatures will happen over the weekend with highs mainly in the mid-30s and lows in the teens and 20s. There’s the chance for snow showers both days, but significant weather isn’t expected.

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Vermont

20th Annual Vermont Composting Summit kicks off on March 25

Published

19 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

20th Annual Vermont Composting Summit kicks off on March 25

MONTPELIER — The 20th annual Vermont Organics Recycling Summit (VORS) will be held on Wednesday, March 25, at the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub. It is organized by the Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) and the Agency of Natural Resources.

VORS brings together composters, farmers, businesses, educators, policymakers, and community leaders to advance solutions to keep clean organic materials out of landfills and return nutrients to Vermont soils. Additional workshops, tours, and hands-on learning opportunities will be held across the state on March 26..

“The 20th annual Vermont Organics Recycling Summit is guided by the theme, Compost! Feed the Soil that Feeds Us,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Misty Sinsigalli. “This is a cornerstone gathering for Vermont’s growing organics recycling ecosystem. Whether you’re a backyard composter, a farmer, a municipal leader, or a sustainability advocate, VORS provides a critical forum for cross-sector collaboration.”

A highlight of this milestone year will be the keynote presentation from Jayne Merner. Merner is a lifelong compost practitioner and co-owner / operator of Earth Care Farm in Rhode Island. She grew up working in compost production and now leads one of the region’s best-known large-scale compost operations. Merner also hosts The Composter podcast and has taught composting and soil stewardship around the world.

Each year, VORS fosters connections, sparks innovation, and helps translate policy and research into real-world action. The summit welcomes all who are passionate about creating healthier communities through composting.

CAV is partnering with ORCA Media to record sessions for post-event viewing.

To learn more and register for VORS, visit compostingvermont.org/vors-2026.

The Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for protecting Vermont’s natural resources and safeguarding human health for the benefit of this and future generations. Visit dec.vermont.gov and follow the Department of Environmental Conservation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Vermont

Vermont National Guard holds change of command ceremony

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Vermont National Guard holds change of command ceremony

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The Vermont National Guard held a change of command ceremony Saturday, with a new adjutant general taking the helm.

The passing of the state’s colors marked the transfer of authority. The flag used was the Green Mountain Boys flag, which has flown around the world.

Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight stepped down after seven years leading the Vermont National Guard. Incoming Adjutant General Harder, who previously served as deputy adjutant general, has 36 years of service across multiple roles within the organization.

At the ceremony, Knight reflected on the periods when the National Guard was deployed, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 floods and current overseas deployments with soldiers in Iran.

“Our duty is to hand both the uniform and the mission forward in better condition than when we received it,” Knight said. “The mantle of leadership doesn’t belong to us. We borrow it for a time and our responsibility is to leave it stronger for the next person who wears it.”

Harder said the role carries significant personal meaning.

“Leading this organization is the honor of a lifetime,” Harder said.

Gov. Scott, a Republican, spoke to Harder’s qualifications during the ceremony.

“General Hank Harder’s service to our nation has proven him to be a distinguished leader with the right character and curiosity to continue the work of guiding the guard into the future,” Scott said.

Harder acknowledged Knight’s tenure during the ceremony.

“Your leadership has left the Vermont National Guard stronger, more capable and ready for the future,” Harder said.

160 Vermont soldiers are currently in Germany on a training mission with Ukraine. Several hundred more are deployed in the Middle East.

Harder addressed the deployed service members during the ceremony.

“We are so proud of what they do each and every day and we’re supporting them from afar and we know what it’s like and we look forward to them completing their mission and coming home,” Harder said.

Harder said the guard has no control over what happens once troops are overseas but is actively providing support to service members’ families in Vermont.

The ceremony was attended by Gov. Phil Scott, members of the military and family members.

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