Amazing story of survival after truck breaks through Lake Minnetonka ice

Ryan Neslund was able to pull himself out of his sinking truck after he broke through the ice Wednesday night on Lake Minnetonka. But sadly, his dog Balou didn't make it out.

Backstory -- Human chain rescue on Lake Minnetonka after truck breaks through ice

During a conversation with Fox 9, we asked Neslund how quickly his truck went down when it broke through the ice about 500 yards east of the Arcola Bridge.

"Instantly, pretty much," Neslund replies. "I instantly started rolling down the window... when the window got down all these huge ice clumps and water filled the whole truck up."

"And then when everything kind of settled down I pushed myself off the ceiling and grabbed the door and pulled myself out the window," he continues.

Deputies responding to the scene formed a human chain. On their stomachs, they grabbed a hold of Neslund and pulled him to safer ice.

Complicating Neslund's escape is the fact he's paralyzed.

"I told them I was paralyzed and I can't walk and they need to come grab me," he says.

Unfortunately, Balou wasn't as fortunate.

"I thought maybe he'd be able to swim out after me and he never did," Neslund says.

Neslund told Fox 9 he wants to thank the people who heard his cries for help and called 911.