Woman Rescued After Falling Into Icy Pond In Wheaton

WHEATON, IL — Wheaton police rescued a woman who was "chest deep" in the icy waters of a pond at Rathje Park after trying to rescue her dog last week. Officer Corey White, who helped pull the woman to safety, told Patch the woman was primarily concerned with her dog's "well-being and whereabouts"once she got back to shore.

Officers got to the scene around 11 p.m. after someone reported that a person had fallen through the ice. The woman was in the "middle of the pond" and "appeared to be stuck and holding onto the surrounding ice, screaming for help" when he arrived, White told Patch.

White and other responding officers had to think quickly to avoid the woman being further exposed to "frigid temperatures, which could have led to hypothermia," he said. White remembered that he had a long rope in his police car and ran to retrieve it.

Officers anchored one end of the rope and tossed the other end to the woman so they could pull her out of the pond. At one point, officers had to get into the water to help the woman, whose feet had become stuck in the sediment at the bottom of the pond.

White said the woman "repeatedly asked about her dog's well-being and whereabouts, caring very little about her own well-being" once she was safely out of the water.

The dog had already escaped safely and was reunited with the woman shortly afterward.

In the wake of the incident, White said it's important for residents to remember that "bodies of water covered in ice are deceptive during periods of warmer temperatures." He added, "the dangers of walking alone on ice or during nighttime hours can significantly increase a person's risk, as shown in this instance."