DENMARK – After watching his dog break through the ice on Hancock Pond on Wednesday morning, a man trekked out 150 yards over the ice in a bid to save his pet before falling into the freezing water himself.
Tom Acker, 55, of Gorham floated in the water 30 minutes before being rescued. A game warden who responded to the call for help called Acker lucky.
“He had less than another 10 minutes left,” the warden said.
Neighbor Wayne Peabody had offered Acker a small life jacket, which Acker put on as well as grabbing Peabody’s canoe to pull behind him.
Acker lives in Gorham but has a small camp on the pond.
“It’s dangerous,” Maine Warden Service spokesman Matt Latti said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s open water in the middle, and very poor along the shore lines. But it was thick enough that he couldn’t be in his canoe, so he pushed it out.”
After Acker broke through the ice, it was impossible for him to climb into the canoe. Peabody, watching the drama from the shore, called 911, put on a wet suit and headed out to rescue both the dog and Acker. He managed to climb into the canoe and pull the dog in, but could not hoist Acker into the boat. Peabody held onto him, talking to Acker until a rescue team arrived.
Bridgton Fire and Rescue used its airboat to reach Acker. He was shivering uncontrollably and taken to Bridgton Hospital to be treated for hypothermia. A nursing supervisor said Wednesday night that no one by that name was there.
The Maine Warden Service, Denmark Fire and Rescue and Sebago Fire and Rescue all responded to the 10:13 a.m. call.
“After 10 minutes people lose control of their muscles so they are unable to swim or tread water,” Latti said. The life jacket “is what saved his life. It didn’t fit him, but it did give him some support.”
Latti didn’t know what kind of dog Acker has.
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