Marlborough woman, dog rescued from water at Carney Park in Northborough
NORTHBOROUGH — Four local firefighters rescued a woman who got stuck in mud up to her waist while chasing her dog Tuesday in Carney Park, applying ice and water rescue training they underwent the previous day in Shrewsbury.
“They (the firefighters) had the class yesterday (Monday) and had three practical scenarios on Mill Pond,” Northborough Fire Chief David Parenti told the Daily News. “This morning four of the members were on duty when we got a call for a woman stuck in the mud.” The 55-year-old Marlborough woman called 911 at 10:44 a.m. The Fire and Police departments responded to the park five minutes later. A firefighter got into an ice suit and was in the water at 10:56 a.m. “We got in the water and started extricating the victim and she was back to shore by 10:59 a.m.,” Parenti said.
The firefighter then went back into the water to get the dog, an Australian shepherd named Sydney. He carried the midsized pooch on his shoulders back to shore to be reunited with its owner.
A relatively warm day, but fire chief says water was frigid
Although it was unseasonably warm Tuesday, the water was frigid, so the woman was evaluated by paramedics. She declined to be taken to the hospital.
“She probably has some scratches and bruises from trying to get out of the mud,” Parenti said.
The woman ended up in the predicament due to her dog, the chief said.
She was walking the dog when it saw a bird. The dog got excited and broke its leash to chase the bird.
“Like a typical pet owner, she tried to go out and get her pet,” Parenti said.
Parenti said all firefighters have had previous training for ice and water rescues, but Monday’s refresher came at an ideal time. “It was really an interesting scenario,” he said.