NOWTHEN, Minnesota (WCCO) — Dramatic footage shows a deputy making a brave save on some thin ice.
Anoka County Deputy Chris Fjeld tied a rope around his waist and slowly made his way out to a pair of people who had fallen into the dangerously cold water.
Gerry Olson saw two men venture on to the lake behind his house to ice fish.
"I couldn't believe it," Olson said. "I thought, 'ah oh, this isn't good.'"
It wasn't long before he could hear screams, as both men went through the ice.
Deputy Fjeld was the first on scene. He already saw signs of hypothermia.
"They were starting to lose their ability to process rational though," Fjeld said. "I was concerned that they might not fair very well if I didn't go out immediately."
Fjeld acted fast. He crawled on his belly with a rope tied around him. His partner, Deputy Curt Grabmeier, was concerned, but not surprised.
"It's just Chris' character," Grabmeier said.
Fjeld reached both men in the frigid water.
"On thin ice, it's important to disperse your weight over greatest amount of surface area you can," Fjeld said.
One by one, he brought the two men back to shore. And their dog made it back, too.
"Just did my job, helping people out," he said.
Fjeld is grateful both men are safe, but wants to remind people to exercise good judgement before getting on the ice.
"I always encourage people that ice is never 100% safe, and if you're going to go out take proper safety precautions," he said.
Especially with highs in the 50s.
"By walking onto the ice when it is still too thin, you are putting yourself at significant risk of falling through and experiencing hypothermia or death," the sheriff's office said. "If you are planning on going onto the ice this winter, please visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's website for a guide on how thick the ice needs to be before walking or driving on it."
