NEW BADEN ILLINOIS, A 23-year-old Illinois man has died after falling through a frozen pond while trying to rescue his dog after the animal slipped into the icy water during a hunting trip on Monday.
Luke Kitterman, of New Memphis, Illinois, was attempting to reach his dog on the ice when he plunged into the frigid water and did not resurface, according to the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency and local officials. Kitterman was hunting with five friends when the incident occurred.
Firefighters were called just after 3 p.m. Monday to a pond in New Baden near Clinton County Line Road and Renth Road, according to the New Baden Fire Department. A dive team from the Swansea Fire Department was requested shortly after, and numerous emergency agencies assisted in the response, with up to 75 first responders involved.
After several hours of searching in extreme cold, officials transitioned the operation from a rescue to a recovery mission. The search was paused around 8:40 p.m. and resumed Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. Kitterman’s body was pulled from the water Tuesday evening, authorities confirmed. Officials were able to locate him using a sonar device.
Authorities reported that the dog managed to escape the ice unharmed.
The six young men were goose hunting together when the incident happened, according to Peyton Matthews with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police.
Matthews explained that the dog, which retrieves geese, went out onto the ice and fell through while attempting to recover game.
Matthews said the dog’s owner became panicked and went onto the ice to try to help. He belly-crawled across the surface and was able to pull the dog back out of the water. Moments later, however, the dog went back in after him.
Matthews stated that after pulling the dog onto the ice, the owner then went underwater and never resurfaced.
While the man’s friends were able to save the dog, they were unable to rescue Kitterman.
Emergency officials reiterated warnings about the dangers of walking onto frozen ponds, especially after winter storms, noting that snow cover can create the false impression that ice is thicker than it truly is.
Authorities continue to remind the public to take safety precautions and avoid walking on frozen bodies of water without proper measures in place.
