75-year-old woman dead after falling into icy Hubbell Pond in Oakland County
MILFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 75-year-old woman died hours after divers rescued her body from the freezing water of an Oakland County pond on Thursday.
The woman fell through the iced-over Hubbell Pond in Milford Township, "approximately 250 feet from the edge of the ice," according to an Oakland County Sheriff's Office news release.
Around 1:40 p.m., the Milford Township police and fire departments were dispatched to the pond due to reports of a dog that seemed to be trapped on the ice, the sheriff's office stated. First responders were able to rescue the dog, and during the process, they noticed several personal belongings nearby.
The Search and Rescue Team (SSRT) was requested to deploy the members of the Southeast Michigan Dive Group to search the pond.
Public safety personnel saw a coat floating near the surface, according to the sheriff's office. The woman, a Milford resident, was retrieved by SSRT divers.
"Once brought to shore, emergency personnel initiated lifesaving measures," according to police.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead, around 7 p.m. Thursday.
"Given the temperature fluctuations recently, we urge the community to assume all ice is not safe for pedestrian or vehicular traffic" Sheriff Bouchard said in the release. "If an animal goes through the ice, do not attempt to go out and save them as you can become a victim as well. That’s the moment you should give us a call."
The search effort included the Livingston County Dive Team, the Genessee County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, and the Van Buren Township Dive Team – who are all a part of the Southeast Michigan Dive Group.
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Wyandotte Police confirmed the incident was a suicide.
Suzanne Gabli, a local resident who often takes walks near the pond, said the incident is "devastating."
"Now that family has to live without their loved one for the rest of their lives, and it’s just really sad," Gabli said.
The incident is still under investigation.
"You can’t be too vigilant, you don’t want to be like stressing yourself out, but you never know when danger could come across you," Benjamin Ebaugh, another resident, said.