Illinois, United States
Ten-year-old falls into frozen pond – 31-year-old grandfather dies trying to rescue
Since the ice cover on the frozen pond was not thick enough, the little girl collapsed (symbolic photo)
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A man jumped into a pond in the US after his granddaughter broke into it. His partner was still trying to save him. But for the 31-year-old, any help came too late.
Two sisters from the US state wanted to walk the six family dogs on Saturday morning. The two girls, eight and ten years old, were walking near Charleston when two puppies suddenly broke loose. Immediately, the ten-year-old ran after them – straight towards a frozen pond.
But the ice was too thin and the girl collapsed immediately. Since the siblings were within earshot of their home, their grandfather overheard the girls’ screams. As family members of the news channel NBC News now reported, the restaurant manager immediately jumped out of bed, put on his sandals and ran outside to the pond, where he also fell in.
Man tries to pull his spouse out of the ice with a dog leash
His family tried to throw a long dog leash at the 31-year-old, but he couldn’t reach them. “I threw them at him and he said, ‘I can’t see them anymore, I can’t see them!’ “, says his 47-year-old husband. And further: “I saw him going down and I just couldn’t reach the two of them.” The two girls are the daughters of the eldest adopted daughter of the 47-year-old. Both men are also her legal guardians.
The family called 911. Divers from the fire department pulled the girl and the man out of the ice-cold water shortly after 8 a.m. and took them to a hospital, where the 31-year-old died shortly afterwards. The little girl is in critical condition, according to authorities and family members. One of the family’s dogs also died in the ice fall.
The bereaved sister started a Gofundme campaign. “There is no life insurance and I know that my brother needs one less thing to worry about right now,” she writes there. “Every penny counts and we really appreciate that.” More than $36,000 has been raised so far.
About her niece’s condition, she writes that she has no brain activity, only seizures. “Your heart and lungs are working, but we are praying for a miracle”. She writes about the little girl’s savior on Facebook: “He loved these girls more than words can say” and further: “He died a hero”.
Sources: Fire Department Lincoln, NBC, Facebook