HAMILTON, Mass. --
A 19-year-old man who fell into icy waters managed to stagger to an awaiting ambulance in Hamilton on Monday night thanks to two volunteer firefighters who came to his rescue.
Evan Sucharski fell into
Pleasant Pond in Hamilton
while trying to rescue his two Springer Spaniels, relatives said. He fell through the ice about 35 feet from shore.
Hamilton firefighters Dave Dolan and Dan Ellison just happened to be working their day jobs just seconds away from the scene when they rushed to the young man's rescue.
"He was about chest to feet submerged," Dolan said. "He was able to have his arms up on the ice. He was saying, 'Can you please help me? I'm cold, and hurry up."
Despite not having any gear, Dolan and Ellison quickly put their training to use. They borrowed a boat and found some rope, and with the help of a home heating oil deliveryman and a neighbor, they made their way out to the submerged man.
Ultimately, Sucharski was only in the water a little more than 10 minutes, but it almost cost him his life.
"When somebody goes into the water, they lose heat 25 times faster than any other way of losing heat from their body," Hamilton firefighter Skip Mullen said.
Officials remind the public to keep off the ice unless it's manmade.
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