Easton Officer Rescues Man, Dog From Frozen Pond

EASTON, CT — An Easton police officer was transported to the hospital after he rescued a man and his dog from a freezing cold pond Friday night.

A man flagged down Officer Anthony Telesco near Helen Keller Middle School on Route 59 and said that his dog fell through the ice at a nearby pond. Telesco called the fire department for an ice rescue.

"Prior to the fire department arriving on the scene the individual climbed onto the ice and attempted to reach his dog," Police Chief Richard Doyle said in a statement. "However, the man fell through the ice on top of his dog."

Telesco waded through chest-deep water and rescued both the man and his dog, Doyle said. Telesco was in minor distress due to the cold exposure and was transported to Bridgeport Hospital. He has since been released.

The man and his dog are both doing fine, Doyle said. People shouldn't attempt to walk or crawl on ice-covered bodies of water — the Easton Fire Department has special equipment and regular training for ice rescues.