LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – Emergency crews rescued two people and their dog from a partially frozen pond late this afternoon in the Lyndon area of eastern Jefferson County, and with more freezing to come authorities are concerned about people venturing on the ice.
Lyndon and Harrod's Creek firefighters were able to save the two people who are now in stable condition with hypothermic injuries. They had gone out on the ice to try to save their dog.
"They were both about chest high, just kind of hanging out on the thicker ice, every time they would try to get on they would just fall, they just kept falling so they eventually just realized that that was not going to work and they just hung out until the firefighters got here," said neighbor Nicole Young.
Young says when she heard about the situation, she grabbed her kayak and tried to help. She was able to rescue the dog, who she says is named Lady.
"I grabbed her collar and then down low I got her on the nose of the boat and I made sure that I was stable, then I pulled her back towards my chest and I tried to console her because I didn't want her freaking out, like it's okay, I know I'm a stranger I know you don't know me, but we are going to get out of this," Young said.
Kent Kruer, Commander of Jefferson County Special Teams and Deputy Chief of Harrods Creek Fire Department, says this can serve as a lesson not to go out on the ice and to wait for emergency responders if someone gets stuck.
"The biggest danger when it comes to ice this time of year is you can't tell how thick or thin it is by looking at it. In this case the dog that probably weighed about 40 pounds was able to walk around on the ice no problem, however it did fall through the ice. So a human that weighs a couple hundred pounds, it's a sure bet they are going to fall through the ice," Kruer said.
Young says she is glad she was able to help out in this case, but would still caution others from going out on the ice.
"Let the professionals take care of it, don't let the amateurs like me get involved and muck it up," Young said.
