Iowa teen saves man and dog after vehicle falls into icy lake

A 17-year-old, three-sport jock from Iowa has earned acclaim arsenic a leader aft jumping into an icy water to prevention a antheral successful his 80s and a canine who were trapped successful a car that had fallen successful the h2o implicit the play – a melodramatic rescue caught connected camera by a drone.

The teen, Joe Salmon, was crystal sportfishing with his parent and watching snowmobile races connected East Okoboji Lake erstwhile helium saw a Jeep driven by 83-year-old Thomas Lee driblet done the crystal nether a road span astatine astir 3pm connected Saturday, the section sheriff’s bureau said successful a Facebook post.

Lee had been heading to his son-in-law’s sportfishing shack erstwhile helium and his six-year-old dog, Cooper – who was successful the Jeep with him – ended up trapped successful frigid water h2o that was 3-4ft deep, the Des Moines Register paper reported connected Monday.

After noticing the Jeep and that its operator was seemingly incapable to get out, Salmon called for exigency assistance connected his phone, walked to the car and stepped into the water, which went up to astir his chest, the Register added. Salmon told the paper helium stepped connected the rear bumper and tried to unfastened the backmost door, but helium couldn’t, and each the Jeep’s windows were closed.

Other bystanders joined him astatine that point, including 1 who gave him a knife. With that knife, Salmon shattered the backmost solid and from determination scooped retired Cooper the dog.

Meanwhile, Lee – with h2o up to astir his waist – couldn’t get retired due to the fact that his ft was stuck betwixt the spot and halfway console, Salmon recalled. Salmon reportedly said helium pulled the console up to escaped Lee, who got stuck erstwhile much earlier helium was capable to afloat get retired of the car.

The section sheriff’s bureau said 4 different men – Corey McConnell, 30; Kody Harrelson, 26; Cody Chester and Chris Parks, some 27 – helped propulsion Lee and Cooper to safety.

First responders took Lee to a section infirmary to beryllium evaluated, but neither helium nor Cooper were injured. Salmon was treated for insignificant cuts from the glass. A store gave him immoderate adust clothes, and helium was medically cleared to support fishing. Soon helium caught two, the Register reported.

A drone lensman recorded video of the rescue helmed by Salmon and posted it connected Facebook.

“I’m blessed that [Lee] was OK and the canine was OK,” Salmon told the newspaper. “It was conscionable brainsick astatine the time. I’ve ne'er done thing similar that.”

For his part, Lee reportedly said: “I privation to convey the radical who helped.” He besides expressed gratitude to the store, which took Cooper successful and dried him off.

Salmon – who wrestles, plays shot and runs way – mislaid his shoes successful the h2o portion rescuing Lee and Cooper, according to the Register’s report. His high schoolhouse way team sent a tweet to Nike asking the sports apparel elephantine to regenerate Salmon’s shoes.

Nike hadn’t responded erstwhile the Register published its archetypal communicative connected Salmon’s heroics. But ESPN newsman Marty Smith tweeted that helium would nonstop implicit a brace of Michael Jordan sneakers. And the nonprofit Track Guy Foundation besides said that it would nonstop “new shoes … Joe’s way”.