A woman came close to death when she fell into an icy stream while trying to save her two dogs in Gloucester Township.
But the pet owner survived, thanks to some good luck followed by a heroic rescue effort, said Chief Mike Millisky of the Chews Landing Fire Department.The good fortune: Someone walking in a wooded area saw the woman and her pets struggling to stay afloat in Timber Creek at approximately 1:30 p.m. Jan. 5. The witness called 911, and first responders raced to the scene off Chews Landing Road in the Blackwood section.
But firefighters had to carry water-rescue gear through about a half-mile of “deep woods” that separated the stream from a dog park, Millisky said. The forest also prevented firefighters from bringing a small boat to the creek, where the woman was approximately 35 feet from the shore.
Appeal for help:Gloucester Township fire drives family from its home
“We had all that up against us, and also time,” the chief said.
Rescuers, he added, arrived to find the woman’s head “bobbing in and out” of the creek. Two firefighters in wet suits, tethered to fellow members of Squad 8 on shore, crossed the ice toward the women, continuing on even after falling in themselves.
He noted that one of the firefighters’ wet suits had a leak that allowed water inside. So rather than protecting the man from the cold, it weighed him down as the rescue proceeded.
“He had to worry about himself, the woman and the dogs,” Millisky said.
The firefighters carried the woman to safety, swimming toward shore as other rescuers tugged on their tethers.
“We pulled the woman out of the water,” Millisky said, “but now we’re in the middle of the woods.”
Firefighters administered first aid, then carried the woman approximately 1,500 feet to an EMS vehicle.
Authorities have not identified the woman, who was taken to an area hospital.
“She is making a really good recovery,” the chief said.
The rescue effort also saved the dogs: a German Shepherd and a Doberman.
Another stroke of luck: Squad 88 had trained for water rescues one day earlier, so its members were well-prepared for the icy challenge, Millisky said.
He praised a “really good, coordinated effort” that included responders from multiple fire departments, township police, EMS and ALS crews, plus members of Camden County’s search-and-rescue unit.In the wake of the incident, township police warned people “to exercise extreme caution near frozen bodies of water, as changing temperatures can create unpredictable and unsafe ice conditions.”
Millisky also offered a tip for pet owners: “If they would keep the dogs on the leash, they’d never have the opportunity to go on the ice.”
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.
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