In a reminder of the perils of thin winter ice, first responders from the Georgetown Township Fire Department and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office were called to a park in Jenison, Michigan, last week after a dog and a deer both fell into icy water there.

According to the fire department, the dog spooked the deer, then chased it onto the thin ice. When both fell in, the dog’s owner attempted to save their dog by diving in. They were unsuccessful in doing so, and quickly called for assistance.

Fire Chief Matt DeWitt told Michigan Live that firefighters were able to rescue both the dog and the deer. They toweled the deer off on shore and attempted to keep it calm so that it wouldn’t run back onto the ice. Eventually, the deer exited the scene, returning to the nearby woods.

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DeWitt urged people to be safe near winter ice, explaining that the ice the dog and deer feel through was, at the most, 2 inches thick.

To safely walk on ice, you should make sure it’s at least 4 inches thick. Here’s why.

This segment originally appeared in today's edition of the Morning Brief newsletter. Sign up here to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.

Senior writer Chris DeWeese edits Morning Brief, The Weather Channel’s weekday newsletter.