Tension of the Approach
Just like the rescuer sets himself sliding across the ice on the sled, it is calculated movement every second. He lies flat with spread out body weight. The lake was silent, apart from the occasional creaking of ice and concerned onlookers’ whispers. Every inch forward reminded them of the extremely fine line between safety and disaster-one wrong move could spell trouble for the rescuer as well as the dog.
The crowd held silent breaths as the drama played out in front of them. She let out held breaths and shouted words of encouragement in whispers, silently hoping that the ice will hold. Everybody knew that even the slightest miscalculation would mean tragedy. Still, the rescuer seemed so calm and on aim to prove a result that belongs to years of coaching for high-stakes rescues.
The dog apparently felt some kind of consolation that salvation was arriving. Still visibly scared, it stayed calmly still, giving careful attention to every detail of the rescuer. This sense of mutual trust between the rescuer and the animal gave an important emotional connotation to the scene as it increased the perception of everyone of the powerful bond existing between humans and animals. It felt almost like, in that moment, the rescuer was not saving a life but fulfilling a bond that only compassion could create.
