Woman, pet dogs rescued from frozen creek at South Jersey park
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Terrifying moments at a local dog park had a happy ending thanks to the quick actions of first responders.
A woman and her two dogs were found trapped in a partially frozen creek at Timber Creek Dog Park in Blackwood on Sunday afternoon.
Police say she was approximately 35 feet from the shoreline and partially submerged in freezing water.
The woman and both her pet dogs were pulled to safety by police and fire crews.
She was treated at the scene before being transported to a local hospital. Police did not report any injuries to the dogs.
Chief Mike Millisky of the Chews Landing Fire Department says the woman went into the creek after her two dogs fell through the ice. Another dog walker that spotted her and the two dogs in the water made the call to 911.
"We found out it was in the pond in the middle of the park. We split our resources, and then they finally got to her, and she was probably in the pond 15 minutes at that point," said Chief Mike Millisky of the Chews Landing Fire Department. "If we'd gone the opposite way and Squad 88 didn’t go around, she probably would’ve been under the water. The first firefighter looked out and only saw two dogs. He did not see her. She was already under the water, and then she popped back up."
Squad 88 firefighters had to put on their ice water rescue suits before getting into the pond. Ironically, they just had training that morning.
"It was fresh in their minds to be able to do this," said Chief Millisky. "They carried her from the pond all the way out of the woods to the EMS rig."
Police and fire officials are reminding everyone to be cautious near frozen bodies of water, as changing temperatures can create unpredictable and unsafe ice conditions.
"Just don’t trust the ice. It was only 60 degrees or so a week ago. " You just don’t know how deep the ice is and how long it’s going to hold a person or even a dog," said Chief Millisky. This was a heroic effort by all. If it wasn’t for the coordinated effort of everybody together, we probably wouldn’t have made the save."