People talk about being in the right place at the right time, and it couldn't have been a more destined situation last week, when a man helped rescue both a dog and its owner from icy waters in Fort Collins.

According to Fort Collins Police, a man's dog ran out onto a frozen lake, and when he went to retrieve him, both fell through into the frigid water below.

Fortunately, a City of Fort Collins Forestry technician named Raphael, happened to be nearby and heard a witness calling for help. Raphael ran about 1/4 mile to where the man and dog had fallen into the ice cold water. As it turns out, Raphael previously volunteered on the Boulder County search and rescue team, and had experience with water rescues.

Raphael's past experience paid off, as he was able to safely get the man and his dog out of the water, as well as take measures to prevent hypothermia, by the time first responders arrived on scene.

Fort Collins Police Services/Facebook
Fort Collins Police Services/Facebook
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Without Raphael's quick thinking and selfless efforts, FCPD explained that the outcome of the situation could have been very dire.

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