Submitted by
Brittany Bowman
April 1 often is a day of jokes and trickery.
This April Fool’s story, however, is a tale of truth, love, bravery, and, most importantly, family.
Tyson Penner was fishing from land on Lake of the Woods like the 17-year-old has done many times before.
This particular day of fishing took a dramatic turn for the worse, however, when his brother Linden’s dog, “Russell,” ran onto the ice after a goose and fell through.
Penner did not hesitate–also running onto the thin ice to assist the family dog, which had become even more important since Linden’s passing earlier this year.
In his attempt to save the family dog, the teen also fell through the ice.
Fortunately, the local hero was able to reach the beloved dog and swim with him to safety.
“I am very proud of him,” said Nancy Indian, Penner’s older sister. “But more importantly, I am happy that they are both okay.
“‘Russell’ was our older brother’s dog who we lost in January, so for Tyson to save his dog like that, without any hesitation, shows how kind-hearted he is and how much he cares for both ‘Russell’ and our brother,” she noted.
“‘Russell’ makes us feel like Linden is still in our home,” Indian added.
“He is family and because of Tyson, we did not lose another member.”
When asked if he would do it again, the brave teen replied, “I would do it again for any dog.
“I couldn’t bare to watch something like that happen,” he added.
