Journal of a Sabbatical

January 10, 1999

thin ice

Driving through Middletown on the way to Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a woman jumping up and down and waving on top of the embankment next to the reservoir. She looked like there was something terribly wrong so I stopped and yelled out to her "what's the matter?" I could barely understand her response. She was screaming and crying "she's out there ... the ice... the water". At first I thought she was telling me that a child had fallen through the ice and my adrenaline kicked in big time. Finally I understood it was a dog that had fallen through the ice.

I called 911 on the car phone. They wanted to know the nature of the emergency so I just started talking really fast like I do when I'm worked up. They finally put me through to the Middletown Police. They kept asking me "who has fallen through the ice? is at a person?" By this time the woman was so hysterical I thought she was going to go out on the ice after the dog. I tried to get it across to the police that yes, it was a dog but I was afraid a person was going to go after it any minute.

Nancy flagged down another car - a truck actually - driven by a young man who was with his wife and daughter. He ran up the embankment to the woman. All the time I'm yelling "Don't go on the ice! The police are coming." The woman was so worked up by this time that she convinced the guy to go after the dog.

The young man fell through the ice.

By this time the police had already hung up and I realized that since 911 had connected me, I had no idea of their phone number to call them back to tell them. The guy's wife left the kid with Nancy and ran up the embankment. As I'm about to try to call the police back, the guy manages to get out of the water on his own but without the dog.

I have no idea how long it's been since I called the police. The woman is yelling at me to make the police come faster. I keep telling her the police are on the way. Then she's yelling at me to please please call her husband. I keep trying and my car phone is not getting through. Finally I get through to the husband and explain the situation. He seems really really calm, but says he's coming.

Both Nancy and I had been screaming at the guy not to go on the ice again, but the woman kept screaming that she couldn't stand to see her dog die. At some point while I was trying to make the phone call, the young guy went after the dog again. The dog got out. I don't know how as I couldn't see over the embankment.

By the time the police came with an ambulance, guy and dog were both out of the water. They wrapped the guy in blankets and carted him off in the ambulance. I don't know how he was still conscious. He was soaking wet in cotton clothes and the temperature was cold and dropping because it was getting towards sunset. I could see him sitting up in the back of the ambulance, so I guess he's OK. The woman had the dog back on its leash. I assume the husband showed up and they took the dog to the vet but I don't know because we left once I was assured that everybody was out of the water and the police had the situation under control.

A half hour later I was still shaking.