An Easton police officer is being credited with saving a man and his dog after both fell through ice into a pond on Friday night.
Authorities said the officer was on routine patrol at Helen Keller Middle School on Route 59 when he was flagged down by a citizen who told him his dog fell through the ice at Keller Pond.
The officer called for firefighters to perform a fire rescue. Before they arrived on scene, police said the man climbed onto the ice and attempted to get his dog, but fell through the ice and landed on top of the dog.
Officials said the officer entered the water and was able to rescue both the man and his dog.
The officer was in water up to his chest and when he exited the water, he was in minor distress from the freezing temperatures, authorities said. He was transported to Bridgeport Hospital to be treated for cold-water exposure and was later released, they added.
The man was treated and released at the scene. The dog was released to the owner and is doing fine, according to police.
Residents are urged not to walk or crawl on ice covered bodies of water to rescue people, dogs or wildlife. Officials said there are numerous firefighters in Easton that are highly trained in ice rescues and they have cold-water gear, specialized equipment and train regularly for those types of situations.
