When a car fell through the ice on Iowa’s East Okoboji Lake, a teenager immediately jumped into action.
Seventeen-year-old Joe Salmon helped rescue 83-year-old Thomas Lee and his dog, Cooper, who were caught inside the Jeep, the Des Moines Register reported on February 6.
The agency said five men helped in the rescue, naming Salmon, Corey McConnell, Kody Harrelson, Cody Chester, and Chris Parks.
Lee was on his way to a relative’s fishing shack when the incident occurred. Salmon, who is a wrestler, football player, and track runner, was ice fishing with his mother when he saw the vehicle and called 911 for help.
The group told Lee to try and get out, but that was the moment they realized something was moving around in the back of the car, so Salmon decided to go into the water that was up to his chest.
He recalled, “I got on the bumper of the rear and tried opening the back door, but all the windows were locked, but one guy gave me a knife and I hit the back glass a couple of times.”
Meanwhile, Lee’s foot was stuck and he could not escape, according to Salmon. Salmon pulled the console up, which helped free him.
Following the incident, Salmon was examined for minor cuts and was given dry clothes before he resumed fishing.
“I’m happy that he was OK and the dog was OK. It was just crazy at the time. I’ve never done anything like that,” he recalled.
“Amen for those 5 guys saving the man and his dog! They must’ve been at the right place at the right time. God was watching over them,” a social media user commented.
This is an excerpt only. Read the full story here.
