A slippery situation that could have had dire effects turned out OK when an 83-year-old man and his 6-year-old canine companion were saved from the icy waters of East Okoboji Lake by a high school student ice fishing nearby, according to the New York Times.
The Des Moines Register reported that Thomas Lee and his dog Cooper were on their way to Thomas son-in-laws fishing shack when he found himself sitting in the icy cold water of the lake. The Jeep he was driving plunged into the 3-to 4-foot deep lake on Saturday around 3 pm.
A nearby fisherman, 17-year-old Joe Salmon, and his mom called 911 and then jumped into the lake without hesitation. The Jeep was sinking, and time was of the essence.
Helping Salmon with the rescue were Corey McConnell, Kody Harrelson, Cody Chester, and Chris Parks, according to the Sheriffs office for Dickinson County.
Salmon told The Register, I took one step, and the water went to about my chest. I got on the bumper of the rear and tried opening the back door, but all the windows were locked, but one guy gave me a knife, and I hit the back glass a couple of times.
A drone captured footage of the dangerous Iowa rescue step by step, including Salmon bashing the rear window to gain entry to the nearly submerged Jeep. The footage shows Salmon getting Cooper out of the back of the Jeep, then tossing the pup towards the solid ice, where he was pulled from the water and onto the solid ice embankment.
The footage shows Salmon, along with one of the other men, getting Lee out of the Jeep and another rescuer helping to guide and assist him out of the water.
Lee was transported to the regional healthcare facility for treatment. He and Cooper received a clean bill of health. Salmon had minor cuts and was treated at the scene.
Salmon told The Register, Im happy that he was OK and the dog was OK. It was just crazy at the time. Ive never done anything like that.
After being treated and getting into dry clothes, he continued ice-fishing.
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