When Brandyn White ran across an icy pond in his Mitchellville neighborhood earlier this month, he was merely following his instincts. Fire and rescue departments likely wish it was more people's instinct to stay off the ice.
The 14-year-old was walking his dog Buster when the dog was tempted by nature.
"He saw some ducks, and they flew up, and he ran across the ice and fell in," Brandyn said.
Seeing his dog in trouble, Brandyn predictably followed him out on the ice, but ice that can't support a little yorkie isn't going to support a young teen.
"I ran across the ice thinking it was thick enough and I fell in," Brandyn said. "I was able to push Buster so that he would doggie paddle to the shore but I was still stuck in there."
Brandyn said he was in the water for up to 10 minutes and was beginning to go down.
"I got tired of moving my arms and I thought that I was gonna drown," he said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Meanwhile, his 10-year-old sister, Briana, ran for help. She went door to door until Shadrick Woods responded to her knocking.
Woods went to the pond and told Brandyn to move his arms to propel him through the water.
"Once he made it to shore, I reached my hand in and pulled him," Woods said.
Brandyn spent six hours in a hospital being treated for hypothermia. Buster was frightened but otherwise unharmed.
"It could have been tragically worse, but thankfully through grace of God that he is still with us, and dog is fine, son is fine [thanks to a] quick-thinking sister and excellent, excellent great neighbors," said Brandyn's father, Nathan White.
Fire and rescue officials said recent cold temperatures have frozen area ponds and rivers, but looks can be deceiving. They're warning people to stay off the ic
