Woman rescued from pond after falling through ice in Wheaton

Wheaton police officers on Friday rescued a woman who fell into an ice-covered pond while trying to retrieve her dog.

A person heard screams coming from the pond about 11 a.m. in Rathje Park and found the woman fell through the ice while chasing her dog, Wheaton police said in a statement.

The woman, unable to free herself, was in chest-deep icy water for five minutes when officers arrived at 616 Delles Road, police said.

Police said any further delay could have had “grave consequences.”

Officers used a rope to pull the woman from the water. Both she and her dog were unharmed.

Police warned residents that ice-covered lakes and ponds can be especially dangerous this time of year as temperatures rise.