FIREFIGHTERS praised two dog owners for not trying to rescue their pets from a lake.
The dogs had both fallen through the ice at Dorney Lake, South Bucks, on Saturday afternoon.
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said the owners did the right thing by calling for help, rather than venturing out on to the ice themselves.
A spokesman said: "It is desperately sad that both incidents ended in tragedy. We appreciate that a pet is part of the family and that the natural instinct is to try to do something immediately.
"It is a difficult enough job for firefighters and can end in human tragedy if owners go on to the ice themselves. We are grateful the owners had the presence of mind to stay on the bank and call for help."
Firefighters from Beaconsfield attended both incidents. The body of one of the dogs was retrieved but officers were unable to find the other.
In another incident, firefighters successfully rescued a horse which had become stuck in a frozen lake in Hay Lane, Fulmer.
