Luke Kitterman, of New Memphis, Illinois dies after falling through ice pond trying to rescue dog who had falling in during hunting trip in New Baden. Officials warn of the dangers of walking on frozen ponds after winter storms.
A 23-year-old Illinois man has died after falling through a frozen pond while trying to save his dog after the animal falling into the icy water on Monday.
Luke Kitterman, of New Memphis, IL, was attempting to reach his dog on the ice when he plunged into the frigid water and did not resurface, according to the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency and local officials. Kitterman was hunting with five friends when the incident occurred.
Firefighters were called just after 3 p.m. Monday to a pond in New Baden near Clinton County Line Road and Renth Road, according to the New Baden Fire Department. A dive team from the Swansea Fire Department was requested shortly after, and numerous fire departments and emergency agencies assisted in the response, with up to 75 first responders involved in the rescue mission, KSDK reported.
Rescue mission turns into recovery mission
After several hours of searching in extreme cold, officials transitioned the operation from a rescue to a recovery mission. The search was paused around 8:40 p.m and resumed Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. Kitterman’s body was pulled from the water Tuesday evening, authorities confirmed. Authorities were able to locate the man’s body using a sonar device.
The dog managed to escape the ice unharmed, RiverBend reported citing authorities.
The six young men were goose hunting together when the incident happened, Peyton Matthews with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police told reporters.
‘They were in the act of hunting. They were goose hunting,’ Matthews said. ‘The dog that retrieves the geese had gone out onto the ice and had fallen through while trying to retrieve the geese.’
Hunter had managed to pull dog back in only for owner to fall in himself
Matthews said the dog’s owner went onto the ice to try to help.
‘At that point in time, the owner of the dog became panicked that the dog might be in trouble, and then that’s when he went out onto the ice and attempted to rescue his dog,’ Matthews said.
Matthews said the man belly-crawled onto the ice and was able to pull the dog back out of the water. Moments later, however, the dog went back in after him.
‘He was able to pull the dog back onto the ice, but the dog went in again after his owner,’ Matthews said. ‘And then after that, that is when the owner of the dog went underwater.’
The dangers of walking onto frozen ponds after winter storms
While the man’s friends managed to save the dog, they were unable to save the 23-year-old who never resurfaced.
Local emergency officials reiterated warnings about the dangers of walking on frozen ponds, especially after winter storms.
‘Snow cover can kind of give the illusion that it may be a little bit more thick than it is,’ she said. ‘Always make sure if you are going to go out onto the ice, you have somebody with you… and then having a safety plan in case you do fall through the ice.’
‘We’re all out here to make sure that he is returned home,’ Matthews said.
