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5 injured trying to save child in fatal N.C. sledding accident

Two first responders and three civilians were treated for hypothermia and other injuries after rescuing a child from a frozen pond in Guilford County

By Simone Jasper
The News Tribune

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — A child died in a sledding accident as five people who tried to help were sent to a hospital, North Carolina officials said.

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said crews from several agencies were called to a golf course early Saturday, Jan. 11 . The child was pulled from water, taken to a hospital and later died from injuries related to the accident.

“Two first responders and three civilians who assisted with the rescue were transported to a local hospital as well for medical examination,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.

The tragedy unfolded when the child sled into a body of water in Whitsett, a roughly 15-mile drive east from Greensboro, spokesperson Bria Evans told McClatchy News via email. Over the weekend, the National Weather Service said the area was hit with more than 2 inches of snow and 0.04 inches of freezing rain accumulation.

Samantha Dunnington, the wife of a firefighter, said her husband was taken to a hospital for hypothermia, frostbite and hand injuries after he broke through ice at the scene. Another firefighter was treated for hypothermia, and both of the first responders were released from the hospital, WFMY reported.

As of Jan. 11, deputies continued to investigate the child’s death. The sheriff’s office didn’t immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Jan. 13.

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