Woman drowns attempting to rescue pet

Goodland Fire Dept. has two ice water rescues in matter of hours

 

GOODLAND TWP. — A Lapeer County woman drowned after she likely went out to rescue her dog who had fallen through the ice, according to a press release from law enforcement officials.

The incident was the second ice water rescue in as many days for members of the Goodland Twp. Fire department, fire officials say.

On Tuesday, December 10 the Fire Department was called to help rescue a deer that had gone on thin ice.

Deputies were dispatched a day later to an address on Armstrong Road, just west of M-53 in Goodland Township, for a possible drowning.

According to the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office, first responders from the Goodland Twp. fire department responded to a water rescue call around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 11.

A neighbor close to the scene said she could see the emergency lights at the house from her front door.

“A lady’s dog went out on the pond and she went after it to rescue it and she went under. The only thing I know is that they called in the dive team and they were able to locate her… it was on Armstrong and Caldwell Road,” she was quoted as saying.

Responders reported upon arrival, personnel observed a pond that was mostly iced over with an open body of water in the center of the pond.

The water appeared to have a thin layer of ice covering it, according to those at the scene.

Investigators say it’s believed a family dog had walked out on to the ice and appeared to be dead. Personnel standing on the shoreline said the animal was seen floating on the water.

The sheriff’s office said firefighters from several fire departments used a paddle boat to get out to the area of open water, breaking the 1-inch-thick ice along the way.

The body of the homeowner, a 33-year-old woman, was recovered from the water by firefighters, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators presume she had gone onto the ice to try and save her dog from the water.

After she was removed from the water, the woman was taken to McLaren Lapeer Hospital where life-saving efforts took place.

Law enforcement gave the Lapeer County EMS unit an escort to the hospital to expedite treatment.

Sadly, the woman was pronounced deceased shortly before 8 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.

Assisting the sheriff department were fire departments from Goodland Twp., Imlay City, Attica Twp. and Arcadia Twp. along with Lapeer County EMS.

The incident remains under investigation. A debriefing was held for first responders involved with the difficult incident.

In the rescue of the deer a day earlier, Goodland fire officals reported at the township meeting on the evening of December 10, the department had just returned from the unusual run, prior to the start of the township meeting.

Fire Chief Brian Kinzer reported to the board, “we found the deer on a pond and had to come up with a plan to get to it. We’ve never really had ice rescues. In all of my 30 years, I don’t recall one,’ he said.

He added, “Safety of the guys was first and foremost. Then we came up with a plan. We were able to use a row boat and went out on the ice and dragged the deer back to shore.”

According to Kinzer, firefighters then wrapped the young deer in a blanket to help warm it up and later went to a wooded area and released it back in to nature.

He said after the meeting, they believe the deer had been seen around 10 a.m. on the water and the fire department was not called until 4 p.m.

“I am really proud of my guys. The whole crew did a great job,” Kinzer said.