A Kenosha County sheriff's deputy and a 57-year-old man are recovering after falling through ice near Hooker Lake over the weekend.
The Kenosha County Sheriff's Office responded just before 5 p.m. on Dec. 20 to a pond east of Hooker Lake. A resident had called 911 to report that a man had fallen through the ice and couldn't get out of the water.
When deputies arrived, the man, a 57-year-old Salem Lakes resident, was found thrashing in water about 75 yards from the shore. Deputy Colin Coultrip located a canoe and used it to get close to the man, officials say.
The sheriff's department said Coultrip's canoe then broke into the ice, but Coultrip was still able to maneuver close to the man and pull him into the canoe.
As the two attempted to return to shore, the resident began to panic and move around, shifting his weight and causing the canoe to capsize.
Coultrip, the sheriff's department says, was able to swim to the edge of the ice and crawl onto it. He then coached the Salem Lakes man to swim to the edge and push himself onto the ice.
The Salem Lakes man was taken to an area hospital where a full recovery is expected. Coultrip did not sustain any injuries, officials say.
The sheriff's department reminds residents that no ice in Kenosha County is safe for outdoor activities.
