How sad for this good woman! Our thoughts are with her family.
Thanks to TheDenverChannel.com for this sad news.
Woman Trying To Save Dog Falls Through Ice, Dies
Two People Fall Through Ice In Two Incidents
By Dayle Cedars, 7NEWS ReporterPOSTED: December 2, 2007
DENVER — Rescuers were called out to two separate incidents where a dog owner had fallen through the ice trying to get a hold of runaway dogs Sunday.
Rescuers were called to a save a teenager who fell through the ice at a pond in Commerce City.
Police said Laura Mae Wallace lost control of her two dogs while walking near a pond at the Buffalo Run Golf Course.
Wallace, 19, went onto the pond after her dogs and fell through the ice, police said.
A neighbor who lives near the golf course saw the dog playing on the ice and ran to help. When she got to the pond she saw Wallace in the freezing water.
Police said the neighbor threw a leash to Wallace to try and rescue her, but Wallace was too weak and went under the water.
She immediately called 911.
Officers and fire personnel tried to rescue Wallace but were unable to reach her, said Chuck Saunier of the Commerce City Police Department.
When dive teams arrived about 40 minutes later, Wallace was about 30 feet from the shore in 20 feet of water, Saunier said.
Rescuers believe Wallace had been in the water for about one hour.
She was flown to Denver Health Medical Center and died Sunday afternoon.
The pond is about 25 feet deep with a thin layer of ice on top. Police said water temperature was between 35 and 40 degrees.
Rescuers said they have had survival rates for incidents where people were in the water for up to one-and-a-half hours.
Ironically the cold water can be a saving grace in situations like this, said Daniel Goldan of the Metro Dive Rescue Team.
“Cold water helps slow the heart functions and the body’s need for oxygen to the brain,” Goldan said. “So the cold water actually helps her, as opposed to being submerged for that length of time in warm water, where the oxygen depravation would have more drastic effects.”
Dive teams also pulled out both dogs, a Labrador and a mix-breed dog. Both dogs were fine and were turned over to Animal Control, police said.
Man Pulled From Lake In Arvada
Another rescue happened in Arvada.
Police said a man was walking his dog near a lake when the dog suddenly ran out onto the lake chasing some birds.
The owner went after his dog and both fell through the ice.
Rescuers arrived as the two were half way back to shore and a dive team threw the man a rope and pulled him back to safety.
Both the man and the dog are expected to survive.
