The mayor of the town of Homewood, Illinois, fell through an ice-covered lake at Izaak Walton Preserve on Sunday afternoon while saving one of his dogs who plunged into the frigid water after running onto the ice. According to the Chicago Tribune, a good Samaritan who was running nearby heard what was happening and called 9-1-1.
Mayor Rich Hofeld, 80, was in the icy water for 15-20 minutes by the time that rescuers were able to pull him out of the lake – he spent a night recuperating from the effects of hypothermia at an area hospital. He has since returned home.
According to the news publication, Mayor Hofeld was able to rescue his dog, a Labrador retriever named Annie, from the icy lake. In an updated edition of the Tribune, Hofeld commented on his decision to save his dog, “The fact of the matter is, they’re family.”
According to the city website, Mayor Hofeld and his family have resided in Homewood since 1970.
(Image via Homewood city website)
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Good man. Homewood Ill. must be very proud of him.
Wonderful man….saving his furry family member.. may God heal quickly. Bless you sweet and kind Mayor!
Finally, a reason to be proud I’m from Illinois!
Hind sight would tell us that it probably isn’t a good idea to go out on ice to try to save your dog, but how many of us would think before we reacted? Mayor Rich Hofeld most likely did what many of us would have done if we saw our pets in peril. I’m glad he and his dog were saved, he is a hero in my book!
AWSOME ! simply AWSOME! and the Higher Power rewarded this nothing short of a Hero by sending what I think was an Angel to assist in the saving of not one but two worthy lives! I am not a religious soul but I do believe…
Best wishes to Mayor Rich Hofeld for a quick and complete recovery. No, it probably wasn’t his wisest decision to go out on thin ice but who among us likely wouldn’t have done the same thing to save our furry family member? I know I would!
We all know the dangers of thin ice. But wouldn’t we go out there anyway? I’m grateful this story ends well. It had the potential to take two lives. Thank you Mayor for risking it all for your beloved pet.
Just heard this on the 10:00 news and I’m from Illinois too! Thank God they are both safe!
Thank you Mayor Rich Hofeld for putting your dog’s safety first – I hope both you and your beloved dog make a full recovery – Homewood, Ill. should be very proud of having such a man as yourself as mayor.