March 29--DOVER -- A local man who fell through the ice in the Cocheco River Friday afternoon was saved by a quick-thinking caller and some police officers with a rope.
Emergency rescue crews received a phone call from someone who saw the middle-aged man struggling to get out of the icy water at 2:49 p.m. He had gone under and was submerged from the neck down, according to officials.
Police officers were able to respond quickly and threw a rope to the man. He was able to hold on until the Fire Department arrived minutes later, even though he was wearing a backpack and heavy leather jacket.
Assistant Fire Chief James Ormond said crews were already dealing with another emergency when the call came in for the river rescue. Rescuers were at the scene of a car crash near Dover High School in which two female high school students were hit by a vehicle as they crossed the street toward a parking lot. Both girls were transported to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
When the Fire Department arrived, two men donned ice rescue suits. One went into the water, while the other stayed on shore to pull the man to safety.
Police Chief Anthony Colarusso said they will investigate how the man fell through the ice. It is believed he may have been walking on a trestle beneath the foot bridge on the Dover Community Trail. It is common, but not safe, for people to do so.
Later reports indicated that the man was trying to walk across the river on the ice when he fell through, according to Fire Capt. Paul Haas. Colarusso gave credit to the caller who happened to see the man fall through the ice.
The man was transported to Wentworth-Douglass. Officials did not believe the man sustained serious injuries in the fall, but may have been suffering from hypothermia.
Copyright 2014 - Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H.
