ASHLEY, N.D. – A Minnesota man hunting in McIntosh County on Wednesday drowned in a slough north of Ashley while attempting to help rescue a dog who was retrieving a bird that had fallen into the water.

Christopher Hendricks, 30, of Champlin, Minnesota, was waterfowl hunting in the Eszlinger Waterfowl Production Area in rural McIntosh County with a friend, Maxwell DiVenere, in the morning. Upon shooting a bird, the mens’ hunting dog was sent into the water to retrieve it, approximately 100 yards from shore. When the dog reached the bird, it became caught up in a thin sheet of ice and began struggling to free itself.

Hendricks removed his bulky clothing and began swimming toward the dog, according to DiVenere’s statement to McIntosh County Sheriff Steve Delzer. He reached the dog and the

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