Firefighter falls through ice while attempting to rescue a dog at frozen Wichita pond
A local firefighter was hospitalized after falling through ice while attempting to rescue a dog from a frozen pond in east Wichita.
Emergency crews were called at 2:42 p.m. Wednesday to the 14000 block of Whitewood Drive, Sedgwick County spokesperson Kate Flavin said in an email. That’s near the interchange of Kellogg, K-96 and the Kansas Turnpike.
Sedgwick County Fire District 1 firefighters arrived the housing development, where they found a dog stranded about 30 feet out in a frozen pond, Flavin said. The dog’s owner was also there. The Wichita Fire Department and paramedics also responded to the call.
“After an unsuccessful attempt to get the dog with a rope, crews found a raft to slide onto the ice,” Flavin said. “The ice broke and cut the raft so the firefighter fell into the water.
“The firefighter was rescued by a crewmate and another team rescued the dog. The firefighter that fell in was transported to a local hospital with a shoulder injury. The dog was alive when it was rescued though it later passed away.”
The injured firefighter has since been treated and released from the hospital.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 3:28 PM.