BEDFORD — Three individuals and a dog were rescued from the Concord River by Bedford Police after a potentially fatal plunge through the ice on Saturday afternoon, Chief John Fisher announced.
At around 2:41 p.m. on Dec. 28, officers were dispatched to the river’s boat ramp on Carlisle Road following reports of a woman and her dog falling into the icy waters.
The dog, initially on the ice, broke through and its owner subsequently fell in while attempting a rescue.
Another person accompanying them also became submerged after trying to help.
A bystander witnessing the incident entered the water in an effort to assist the trio.
Responding rapidly to the emergency call, Officers Patrick Coady and Daniel Sanchez employed throwable rescue disks and ropes from the shore, successfully retrieving all three individuals and the canine within moments of their arrival.
Officers David Lopez and Mary Ellen Brickey provided additional support at the scene.
The woman was taken to a local hospital by the Bedford Fire Department for treatment of cold exposure.
The other two individuals and the dog did not require hospitalization.
Chief Fisher praised the swift actions of Officers Coady and Sanchez, highlighting their training and quick thinking in the successful rescue from the treacherous river.
Fisher also issued a warning, advising the community against venturing onto the ice, stressing that no natural ice can be considered entirely safe and that the current conditions in Bedford particularly do not support any form of human activity on the ice.
