🔴 A passerby reported the dog through the ice of Wheeler Pond in Londonderry around 11:50 a.m.

🔴 Three rescue workers went into icy water to search for the dog, but were unsuccessful.

🔴 “Caution is in order for those going out onto any ice, especially following the recent variations in temperature and precipitation,” NH Fish & Game warned


 

A dog's drowning death in Londonderry's Wheeler Pond is a sad reminder that ice on outdoor ponds and lakes is not safe.

Londonderry firefighters and first responders went to the pond on Nashua Road along Interstate 93 around 11:50 a.m. after a passerby reported a dog in the water. Three rescue worker went into the icy water to search for the dog, but could not locate it. The department did not disclose who the dog belonged to.

Map showing Wheeler Pond in Londonderry
Map showing Wheeler Pond in Londonderry (Google Maps/Canva)
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New Hampshire Fish and Game warned before the weekend to use caution around ice outdoors because of a lack of consistent cold temperatures.

“Caution is in order for those going out onto any ice, especially following the recent variations in temperature and precipitation,” Colonel Kevin Jordan, Chief of Fish and Game’s Law Enforcement Division, said in a statement. “With erratic weather conditions, some areas of ice may look safe, but may not be. As always, we are urging people to check the ice thickness before going out onto any frozen waterbody.”

Fish and Game also warned that thick ice does not mean safe ice.

"It is possible for ice to be thick, but not strong, because of varying weather conditions. Weak ice forms when warming trends break down the ice, then the surface refreezes. Be especially careful of areas with current, such as inlets, outlets, and spring holes, where the ice can be dangerously thin," Jordan said.

With water temperatures in the 30s and 40s, hypothermia is a concern for anyone falling into the water. Being immersed in water below 50 degrees causes cold shock and an immediate loss of breathing control.

Safe Ice Thickness Guidelines
Safe Ice Thickness Guidelines (NOAA Cleveland)
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Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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