The afternoon was crisp and cold as Ed Berger strolled along the snowy path by Lake Waban with his two loyal dogs, Tommy and Oscar. The frozen lake glittered under the winter sun, a scene of quiet beauty. But in an instant, that peace was shattered.
Tommy, playful and full of energy, spotted birds landing on the ice and bounded toward them. He didn’t know the danger that lurked beneath the frozen surface. Within moments, the ice cracked—and with a sickening splash, Tommy disappeared into the freezing water.
Instinct took over. Berger, a seasoned EMT who had spent his career saving others, now found himself in the opposite role. Desperate to rescue his beloved dog, he spotted a small boat nearby and tried to use it to reach Tommy. But in the chaos, the unthinkable happened: Berger himself plunged through the fragile ice, swallowed by the icy lake he had walked beside countless times.
The situation could have turned tragic within seconds. Hypothermia strikes quickly in such freezing conditions, robbing victims of strength and awareness. But luck—or perhaps fate—was on their side. The Wellesley Fire Department rushed to the scene, trained and ready for moments just like this.
Drone footage later revealed the extraordinary precision of the rescue. Firefighters knew the rules of thin ice survival: spread your weight, stay low, and move cautiously. One rescuer crawled on his stomach, inching closer, while another knelt, distributing his weight to prevent further collapse of the ice. When they reached Berger, they used textbook technique. Instead of hauling him out by the arms, one firefighter positioned himself in the water beneath him, lifting Berger’s chest flat onto the ice. From there, Berger wriggled forward inch by inch, sliding across the frozen surface like a seal until he was pulled to safety.
The rescuers then turned back for Tommy. The frightened dog, shivering in the frigid water, was hauled up with the same steady care. Together, man and dog were returned to shore, shaken but alive.
The irony of the incident wasn’t lost on Berger. He has spent his career as an emergency medical technician, often arriving at scenes just like this one. But on this day, he was the victim. Reflecting on the event, he described the firefighters’ calm and steady presence with simple humility: “It was like hanging out with two guys who knew exactly what they were doing.” For once, the rescuer had been rescued.
Both Berger and Tommy were rushed to medical facilities and treated for hypothermia. Against the odds, both made full recoveries. The memory of icy water and cracking ice may linger, but so too will the overwhelming gratitude for the strangers who refused to give up. On that frozen afternoon in Massachusetts, a man and his dog nearly lost everything. Instead, they gained a second chance—thanks to courage, training, and the unshakable will to save a life.
