CONCORD, Mass. — Emergency crews navigated through steep terrain to rescue a 26-year-old woman and a dog who had fallen through the ice on Friday morning, the fire chief said.
First responders learned that the dog fell through the ice near Balls Hill Road, and that the woman – a dog walker – tried to rescue the dog and also fell in, Concord Fire Chief Thomas Judge said in a statement.
Around 10:40 a.m. Friday, Concord Fire responded to a call about a woman and a dog that had fallen through the ice, Judge said. Ten firefighters responded to the scene. The caller – a concerned passerby – guided firefighters to the area near the woman and dog.
When first responders arrived, they found the woman and the dog had pulled themselves from the ice and had reached the edge of the water, Judge said. Responders immediately began to treat the woman for hypothermia, by wrapping her and the dog in blankets.
Firefighters then placed the woman in a stokes basket and carried her for a quarter-mile while navigating through steep terrain and trails to reach a clearing, where a department RTV transported her to the parking lot, Judge said.
She was taken by ambulance to an area hospital. The dog’s owner met first responders at the scene, and took the dog to a local veterinary hospital for treatment. Their conditions were not known on Friday.
”Our firefighters worked swiftly and professionally to help this woman and dog get to safety after falling through the ice, and we are happy that they are alright,” said Judge. “We would like to remind members of the community that our recommendation is to stay off the ice, but if you choose to do so, to proceed with great caution and be prepared.”
The state’s website offers the following ice tips to stay safe during the winter months:
- Always consider ice to be potentially dangerous.
- You can’t judge ice conditions by appearance or thickness alone; many other factors like water depth, size of waterbody, water chemistry, currents, snow cover, age of ice, and local weather conditions impact ice strength.
- New ice is stronger than old ice. Four inches of clear, newly formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially thawed ice may not.
- Ice doesn’t freeze uniformly. Continue to check ice conditions frequently as you venture out onto the ice.
- Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often more dangerous. Avoid traveling onto ice-bound rivers and streams, as the currents make ice thickness unpredictable. Many lakes and ponds may contain spring holes and other areas of currents that can create deceptively dangerous thin spots.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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