EASTHAM, MASS. — The frigid waters of Bee’s River near First Encounter Beach are now a tragic site, after police say a husband and wife were walking their dog when they fell through the ice Saturday morning.
The woman was pulled from the water but sadly didn’t make it, the husband is still missing.
“My best guess is the dog ran off and everyone’s instinct if. It’s part of your family.... especially over by the creek area,” said resident Meghan Gallagher.
Longtime Eastham resident Meghan Gallagher told Boston 25 walks on this side of town are part of daily life but can be dangerous this time of year.
“Especially how tight all it is you know it’s hard to tell. I mean right now you can tell where there’s water and where there’s ice but over on the other side on Rock Harbor it’s really hard to differentiate like am I on sand, am I on solid ground? Or am I in the ocean now?”
Dawn and Peter say they know the couple through a local running club. They describe them as kind, always involved in the community and a tragic loss for those who knew them best…
“They were some of the most caring, kindest people you can ever meet.”
“Their spirit and friendliness with everyone they met, the minute you met them, you were their friend.”
Eastham Police Chief Adam Bohannon says this is now a recovery mission.
“We haven’t located anything with the drone yet, we had also checked the shoreline by foot, the ice has broken up a bit and our plan as of now is to return tomorrow morning with a larger effort,” he said.
“Frankly we may not ever know exactly what happened.”
With school vacation week underway, Mass. State Police says you should think twice before heading onto frozen ponds warn that any body of water that is moving or has a source like a stream isn’t safe or may not be fully frozen.
Officials warn to never go alone and keep a flotation device nearby. you should call 911 immediately if someone falls through.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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