MICHIGAMME TOWNSHIP, MI— A man and his dog had to be rescued from Lake Michigamme after the dog fell through the ice on Friday afternoon.
Just after 4 p.m., 56-year-old Michigamme Township resident Thad Cooper noticed the dog’s head above the ice about 100 yards from shore. Cooper took a kayak out to the animal but was pulled into the water himself.
The Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Dive and Technical Rescue Teams were dispatched to the scene. They had extreme difficulty reaching Cooper because of the very soft ice and distance from shore. A Dive Team member reached Cooper with a flotation board secured with a rope. They were pulled back to shore by supporting personnel, who then rescued the dog.
Cooper and the animal were in the water for about an hour and 25 minutes. He and two of the first responders were taken to UPHS-Bell for treatment of hypothermia. Another first responder sought treatment for a laceration received when he fell through the ice.
Also assisting in the incident were the Michigamme-Spurr Fire Department and First Responder Team, Michigan State Police, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The U.S. Coast Guard and Alger County Sheriff’s Office also started responding.
