Bystanders Pull Malden Man From Quarter Mile Pond

STONEHAM, MA — Two bystanders helped pull a Malden man to shore after he fell through the ice at Quarter Mile Pond Wednesday afternoon, the Stoneham Fire Department said.

Emergency crews were called to the pond off Woodland Road around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. The fire department said two people had already pulled the 22-year-old from the pond by the time first responders arrived.

One of the rescuers, Thomas Walsh, was walking in the area with his 5-year-old German Shepherd, Diesel, when the dog heard the man calling for help and alerted his owner. Walsh directed the man to crawl on the ice toward the shore until he and another bystander pulled him to shore with a branch.

"It was rewarding," Walsh said in a statement. "It's just good to know that you can help someone in need."

The patient was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

"We are grateful for this outcome and for Diesel alerting his owner that something was wrong," Grafton said in a statement. "The two men who helped the patient get to shore did the right thing by calling 911 immediately and using a branch to help pull him in rather than trying to get in the water themselves. These actions helped to save a man’s life this afternoon and are nothing short of heroic."