MARBLEHEAD — Police Chief Robert Picariello is praising the courage and dedication of four officers who plunged into freezing Ware Pond on Sunday morning to save a man who had fallen through the ice.
"Some of them were in the water up to their necks," he said, adding that they wore only their uniforms. "And the water was cold."
The rescuers were soon aided by two Marblehead firemen who arrived shortly after the police and waded in, as well — this time with survival suits on, according to fire Capt. Michael Porter.
Marblehead resident Gregory Doran, 35, went into the pond after his dog, Doobie, ran onto the ice and fell through. Doran left his two young children at the edge of the water, apparently thinking he might quickly retrieve the animal.
Instead, he plunged through the thinning ice himself and soon found it was impossible to get back on top of it.
"He started losing the use of his hands," Porter said. "It doesn't take long in ice water."
Police Lt. Jonathan Lunt, Sgt. Sean Sweeney, and Patrolmen Andrew Clark and Brendan Finnegan arrived on the scene to discover the neighbors trying to save Doran by throwing him a garden hose.
The police promptly headed in with flotation devices. But, according to Porter, they were unable to get close enough with their rope. It was then that firefighters John Tobey and Mark Barcamonte went splashing to the rescue.
Lunt, according to Picariello, brought out Doobie, who went temporarily to the animal shelter. "And we were able to bring the kids back to the station, where they were reunited with their mother."
The four police officers, he said, simply went home and changed their clothes. "Then they returned to work as professionals will do. ... It was just a great rescue."
Doran has since been on various television news shows saluting the efforts of the town's police and firefighters.
"The police did make a heroic effort," said Porter, who added a caution to the public. "It's got to be difficult to see your dog out there. But if your dog falls through, so will you. You weigh more than your dog. ... If (Doran) had called 911 instead, we would have been there right away. We've rescued plenty of dogs."
And the rescue comes free of charge.
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