By Hector Gutierrez
Rocky Mountain News
ARVADA, Colo. — Rescuers who were pulling a dog to safety from a partially icy lake discovered its owner underwater Wednesday afternoon.
The victim, who was 83, died later at Lutheran Medical Center after Arvada firefighters pulled him from the southeast corner of Four Acre Lake, about a quarter of a mile north of Interstate 70 and east of Garrison Street. Police spokeswoman Susan Medina said the victim lived in the neighborhood, and his name was being withheld until his relatives could be contacted.
Authorities believe the man must have been underwater for at least a half-hour. They were trying to figure out whether he risked his life and fell in after going into the lake to retrieve the husky.
Animal management officers received a call about 3:25 p.m. from a woman who reported that a dog appeared to be trapped in the water at Four Acre Lake near West 51st Avenue and Everett Street. Officers used a long catch pole, placed the loop around the neck of the dog, and pulled it to safety. The dog, a husky, was doing well, Medina said.
Firefighters, who arrived on the scene after the husky was pulled safely to shore, noticed a dark object underneath the water. They entered the lake, discovered it was a baseball cap, and within minutes a diver found the victim about 10 feet from the shore, Scott Pribble, Arvada fire spokesman, said.
Paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the victim then rushed him to Lutheran Medical Center, where he died.
Part of the lake’s southeast corner has thawed because of warmer temperatures, while another portion remains covered with thin ice.
“We want to stress to people that whether it’s 60 degrees or 20 degrees, don’t go on the ice to retrieve a dog, because then you’ll become a victim yourself,” Medina said.