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N.J. Grandma Drowns Attempting To Rescue Dog

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Jan 4, 2009 7:00 am US/Central

N.J. Grandma Drowns Attempting To Rescue Dog

PLAINSBORO, N.J. (AP) ― A Plainsboro woman's bid to rescue her grandson's dog from a frozen pond ends in tragedy.

Authorities say 61-year-old Janet Howard drowned after she fell through the ice on Saturday morning.

Howard was walking the dog, a German Shepherd named Apollo, when it wandered onto the ice covering Plainsboro Pond. It appears Howard went after the dog but the ice broke, plunging her and the animal into the water about 25 feet from shore.

A passerby on a bicycle heard Howard's cries and tried to help her, but he also fell through the ice and went into the water.

He eventually fought his way back to shore, got on his bike and raced home to call 911. But by the time he returned to the scene and police arrived, Howard had gone under.

Rescue workers later found her about 4 1/2 feet beneath the surface. She was taken to Princeton Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

The dog, who apparently wasn't injured, somehow reached the shore and ran home. 

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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