It was just a normal, clear day at the skate park, according to Neil Bersague Abreu, 16, and Ben Jacobs, 15. That is, until they had to formulate a rescue for a dog.

“So I hear a scream and I turn around and I see a dog run onto the ice,” Neil said.

Four boys skating at the skate park formed a plan late last month to save a dog that fell into Mill Pond.

Though the golden retriever tried to slow down, it slipped from the ice and into the water at Mill Pond. So Neil and Ben, along with two others from the skate park — Joseph, 15, and Levi, 14, Seeman — ran to the edge of the water to call the dog in.

“We were all calling the dog,” Ben said.

A passerby called the police, but the boys were not going to give up. While they were out skating during one of the first nice days of the year, it was still fairly chilly out, and Ben explained they were worried the dog would freeze.

The dog, named Mercedes, was trying to get back onto the ice but couldn’t get its back legs up. Mill Pond was not fully iced over, but there was enough ice on that side to prevent Mercedes from swimming back to her owner.

Though the boys tested the ice, they determined it wasn’t safe enough to walk on to rescue the dog.

“It was a long ways out so we couldn’t just reach out and grab him,” Ben said.

Instead, they ran around the pond to where there was less ice, and the owner followed suit, while Ben stood holding a second dog the owner had with her.

“The lady went over and the dog started to swim over,” Ben said.

Joseph then hauled the dog out of the water when it got close enough to shore, and carried it to the owner’s vehicle.

The group was relieved when the dog got out of the water, but Ben pointed out the situation didn’t have to happen at all.

“Neither of them, the lady did not have them on leashes,” he said. “So that’s basically why this happened was because there were no leashes.”

Neil was glad they were able to help the situation.

“I was so relieved that the dogs were alright, and I’m hoping the dogs are fine,” Neil said. “Because I’m a dog person and I don’t want to see a dog die from hypothermia.”