Published February 04. 2021 08:46AM
By Susan Bryant
sbryant@tnonline.com
Lydia Panas of Kutztown is very grateful to firefighters from Kutztown and Kempton fire companies for saving her 14-year-old dog, Omar.
Around 8:25 a.m. on Jan. 31 Omar fell through the ice in a partially frozen pond.
Panas spoke with The Northwestern Press Feb. 1 about the rescue.
“My husband [Ed Baldrige] and I had just come back from a walk when he went out to feed the sheep,” she said.
“While he was out there, he heard a lot of squawking coming from the geese in the backyard pond.”
When Baldrige looked toward the pond, he noticed Omar, their 35-pound Spanish Water Dog treading water.
“My husband called the neighbor, and he and his son, Glen and Justin Christman, came to help,” Panas said. “I was on the phone and got off and called 911.”
While they were waiting for the fire department to arrive, they sent out some floats for the dog but he couldn’t grab them.
Baldrige and the neighbor then tried to use a ladder to try to reach Omar, but when they heard a cracking noise coming from the ice, they turned around.
Kempton Fire Company brought a small boat along to help with the rescue.
“The rescue was pretty amazing. It was wild,” Panas said. “The firefighters were cool and calm. They were amazing.”
At first, Panas thought they would need to take Omar to the veterinarian but he was fine.
“I am thankful to all the firefighters for doing an amazing job and to everybody who came to help,” Panas said.
Glen Christman of Kutztown, a neighbor of Lydia Panas and Ed Baldrige, tries to reach Omar, a Spanish Water Dog. Firefighters from Kutztown and Kempton fire companies arrived 8:25 a.m. Jan. 31 to rescue the dog from a partially frozen backyard pond.
PRESS PHOTOS COURTESY LYDIA PANAS Volunteer firefighters from Kutztown and Kempton fire companies use a ladder to rescue Omar from the pond. Kutztown firefighter Caitlin Henderson went to the end of the ladder and performed the rescue with the help of Kutztown firefighter Adam Pearson.
PRESS PHOTOS COURTESY LYDIA PANAS Justin Christman and Ed Baldrige wrap up Omar in blankets after he was rescued from the pond.
Omar, a 14-year-old Spanish Water Dog, goes for a walk an hour after being rescued from falling through the ice of a frozen pond Jan. 31 by volunteer firefighters from Kutztown and Kempton fire companies.
