MICHIGAMME TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZMQ) – A man, his dog, and two rescuers are recovering after an incident that began when a family dog fell through the ice on an inland lake.
Just after 4 p.m. Friday, the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Dive & Technical Rescue Teams were called to Lake Michigamme off Holli Blue Rd for a report of a man and his dog in the water.
Thad cooper, 56, was looking for his dog when he saw nothing but the pet’s head sticking out of the ice about 100 yards from shore. Cooper got in a kayak, but when he reached his dog, he fell out of the kayak and couldn’t get back in.
Because of the deteriorating ice conditions, rescuers had extreme difficulty reaching Cooper. A dive team member was able to reach the victim with a floatation board secured to the shore with a rope. They were pulled back to shore by personnel on land. The dog was rescued after Cooper was brought to shore. Authorities estimate Cooper and his dog were in the water for nearly 1.5 hours.
Rescue personnel also had to be extracted from the icy water. Two first responders were hospitalized and treated for hypothermia. And additional first responder sought treatment for a laceration from falling the ice.
UP Health System EMS transported Cooper and the two first responders to UPHS – Bell for treatment.
The Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Dive & Technical Rescue Teams were assisted by Michigamme – Spurr Fire Dept., Michigamme – Spurr First Responder Team, Michigan State Police, and MiDNR. The U.S. Coast Guard and Alger County Sheriff’s Office also started to respond.
Authorities remind residents that all ice is unsafe this time of year, and no one should venture out onto it for any reason.
