Very often, it seems, the man falls through ice stories that make the news end badly — in the man’s death.

We are pleased to report that a very recent case of a man falling through ice locally did, in fact, end positively.

Here’s what happened.

Last Friday afternoon, Thad Cooper of Michigamme Township notified authorities that his dog had fallen through the ice on Lake Michigamme.

When Cooper, 56, attempted to rescue the dog himself, he also plunged into the icy waters and was in no better condition than his pup.

Enter the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Technical Rescue Team, dispatched to the scene.

Problem was, the deputies struggled to reach Cooper initially due to his distance from the shore as well as the lake’s soft ice.

Then, a dive team member was able to reach Cooper with a flotation board secured to the shore with a rope, allowing supporting personnel to pull them both out of the water.

A short time later, the dog was rescued after Cooper was successfully brought to shore.

It is estimated that Cooper and his dog were in the water for an hour and 25 minutes.

Upper Peninsula Health System EMS transported the victim and two of the first responders for treatment at UPHS-Bell.

It’s hats off to everyone involved in this affair, most especially the team members who, themselves, had to be taken to the hospital for treatment afterwards.

This was that rare instance where a man falling through the ice story that makes the news ended happily.