A 57-year-old woman has drowned in a lake in Nova Scotia's Guysborough County and a pet may have been involved.

RCMP were called to Indian Harbour Lake around 6:40 p.m. Monday for a report of a woman in the water.

Cpl. Dal Hutchinson said two men had gone to the home to check on the woman. He said they found her in the ice-covered lake. They pulled her from the water, performed CPR and called 911. She was pronounced dead later in hospital.

Hutchinson said the investigation is still in its early stages, but police are looking at the possibility the woman may have been trying to rescue a dog.

"That is something that we're looking at to determine if possibly the dog had gotten out onto the ice and attempts were made to get it back ashore, but again that's something I can't confirm at this time," Hutchinson said.