'His Strength Was Fading': Deputies Save Man Who Fell Into Icy Pond Trying to Save Neighbor's Dog
When seeing an animal in danger, a lot of people’s first inclination is to jump in — sometimes literally — and help. It’s an admirable, but oftentimes ill-advised, response.
When one elderly woman spotted her wayward dogs chase geese on a nearby pond and fall through the ice on Sunday, thankfully she did not attempt to rescue them herself. The woman, from Racine County, Wisconsin, called her neighbor to request his aid.
The unnamed 58-year-old man went about 50 feet out onto the ice, risking his own life and limb to pull the frigid, soaking dog from the water. One dog had managed to escape on its own, but the remaining large dog was truly stuck.
As one might guess, the well-intentioned neighbor soon found himself in the same predicament as the animal he was trying to save, and he held onto the dog while clinging to the ice.
The Racine County Sheriff’s Office quickly sent deputies to the location. They posted about the rescue on Facebook.
“On Sunday March 5, 2023, at 2:27 PM, Racine County Sheriff’s Deputies and Raymond Fire/Rescue were dispatched to a residence on 3 Mile Road in the Village of Raymond for a male that fell through the ice,” the post, written by Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, stated.
“While responding, reports indicated the male was about 50 feet offshore on the large pond and had fallen through the ice after trying to rescue a dog that had also fallen through the ice. The male was too weak to climb out and was holding on to the edge of the ice, trying to keep the dog afloat. He was estimated to have been in the frigid water over 10 minutes.
“Deputies and a Wisconsin State Trooper arrived on scene within minutes and deployed a life safety throw rope. The male was barely able to grasp the rope as his strength was fading. The 58-year-old male was pulled through the ice and to shore along with the dog.
“At this point, two RASO investigators, who are also members of the Racine Sheriff Dive Team, were able to rapidly don their water rescue equipment and pull the male out of the water onto shore. Deputies had the victim out of the water within 3 minutes after arriving on scene.”
The good Samaritan was taken to a hospital as there were concerns of hypothermia, and he had sustained some lacerations from his rescue mission turned misadventure.
The dog, “Bo,” perked up quickly after a short stint in a warm car, and was soon making friends with the deputies. Both dogs and good Samaritan are “expected to make a full recovery.”
“The Racine County Sheriff’s Office equips all patrol cars with the life safety rope, specifically designed for water rescue,” the post concluded.
“It is believed the male was within minutes of going underwater. Today’s incident showed how invaluable the life safety equipment carried by deputies can truly be.”
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