With two feet of snowfall and harsh winds, last week’s blizzard gave rise to emergencies all over the Island. Power outages and medical emergencies abounded as Vineyarders tried to dig themselves out of the mess.

The snowy conditions almost led to tragedy for Edgartown fixture Geno Courtney, 86, who got stuck in a bank of snow outside his home last Tuesday. He survived the ordeal thanks to a canine hero: his 12-year-old white Labrador, Whitey.

“It was a miracle,” Mr. Courtney told the Gazette by phone last week.

Islanders may know Mr. Courtney as the man who keeps watch most days over downtown Edgartown. Mr. Courtney, who previously estimated to the Gazette that he owns 40 per cent of the downtown area, is himself a part of the landscape, often seated on a bench wearing a flat cap and some manner of Martha’s Vineyard apparel.

But in last week’s storm, Mr. Courtney, like many Islanders, was at home, trying to work around the snow to embark on his daily routine.

At around 6:30 on Tuesday morning, he decided to take Whitey for a walk. Roughly 20 inches of snow had fallen, but as far as Mr. Courtney could see from his front door, he thought he could safely make it down his driveway.

“It didn’t look like a lot of snow,” he said.

Whitey walked easily atop the snow, but when Mr. Courtney tried to follow he got stuck in the deep powder.

“I went to try to move, and I had no strength in my legs,” he said.

After waiting a few moments to regain some strength, Mr. Courtney was able to drag himself out of the snow to the edge of his driveway. But by the time he got there, he was exhausted.

“I rolled over on my back... but all of a sudden, I think I kind of lost my breath again,” he said. “I couldn’t really yell or anything. I couldn’t even reach for my phone.”

He wasn’t confident about any help arriving either. Plows hadn’t been by yet to clear the streets, and even if someone were to drive by, he was lying far below the snow’s crest, making it unlikely a passerby would spot him.

Mr. Courtney said he genuinely feared he might die.

“People say when you get near death, you see the angel. I think I did see the angel,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of friends in the last year or so.... I thought I was next.”

Whitey, it would seem, knew he was his owner’s only hope. The Labrador snuggled up to Mr. Courtney, keeping him warm by laying by his side, and alert by periodically licking his face.

“That part was like something out of the movies,” he said. “A man and his dog.”

For two hours, Whitey protected Mr. Courtney from the cold as he lay in his driveway. Eventually, Mr. Courtney was able to crawl through his front door and warm himself up.

“I got in the house and got out of my wet clothes and had some hot soup,” he said.

When Mr. Courtney spoke to the Gazette a few days after the incident, he reported having made a full recovery, though he noted his children are worried about him.

“[They said] if anyone sees me go out, call the cops,” he joked.

He’s convinced Whitey saved his life that day, and that under different circumstances, he may not have been so lucky. He cautioned others to look before they leap in snowy weather.

“It was a stupid thing that I did,” he said. “This might be a lesson to somebody else out there.”