Meet Holly, the coyote who was pulled from icy Lake Michigan by rescue workers Friday. (CBS)
Updated 12/17/10 – 9:00 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) – Chicago Fire Department crews rescued a coyote that had been trapped on a chunk of floating ice on Lake Michigan Friday.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Nancy Harty Reports
The ice that held the coyote started floating away from the shore near Fullerton Avenue; the rescue call came in around 9:40 a.m.
Members of Chicago’s Animal Care & Control Commission helped fire crews pull the coyote into a fire boat around 10:45 a.m.
Chicago Fire Department Capt. Mike Fox said the wild animal didn’t put up much of a fight.
“The coyote was kind of happy to be out of the water. It was pretty calm,” Fox said. “They put a blanket on (her) and once (she) got to shore (she) started getting a little more active.”
The ice-covered coyote was taken to Belmont Harbor. Animal control staffers were evaluating the coyote, and they planned to release her once she’s healthy.
Fox said fire crews have named the coyote “Holly,” partly in honor of the Christmas season.
Fox said it’s not unusual for fire crews to go out to rescue animals from the lake, although typically it’s pets.
“When dogs are in the water, it’s usually somebody was walking the dog along the beach and the person will jump in to save his dog and then we end up with a dog and a person in the water,” Fox said. “That’s why the Fire Department has such a large response to incidents like this.”
In addition to sending out a fire boat, a Chicago Fire Department helicopter was sent to the scene.
Even veteran firefighters were tickled by the adventure.
“You never get that close to a coyote, even at the zoo,” Fox said.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
