Dogwalker dies after falling through ice in Cape Cod, as search for her husband is suspended

A couple fell into an icy river while walking their dog, leaving one of them dead and the other missing.

A husband and wife are believed to have fallen through the ice on Bee’s River in Eastham, Massachusetts, while walking their dog Saturday morning, according to a statement from the local police department. Eastham is a small beach town located on Cape Cod.

Officers were first called to the scene after someone reported a loose dog that was wet and “appeared to be in distress,” the Eastham Police Department said. An officer who responded found a woman in the river who had been screaming for help.

The officer attempted to rescue the woman, but the ice gave way, leaving them both “completely submerged,” according to the agency. A second officer made his way out onto the ice to help, but it broke again, and he was submerged up to his waist.

Both officers made it back to shore and were transported to a nearby hospital, the police department said. Rescue officials then searched for the woman, who was found under the ice and pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman’s husband, who is believed to have been with her at the time of the incident, is still missing.

“Based on items located in their vehicle and a check of their residence, it was determined that it was possible that the husband may have fallen through the ice prior to the officer’s arrival,” the police department said Saturday.

Police launched a six-hour search effort, which included multiple divers and an “underwater remotely operated vehicle,” the agency said. Investigators were forced to pause their efforts once it became dark and resumed their search Sunday morning with a drone and on-foot teams.

The man remains missing, and investigators have suspended their search efforts. The search will resume “when changes to the ice conditions occur, allowing access for public safety personnel,” the police department said Sunday.

The couple’s names have not been released at the request of their family.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the entire family in the aftermath of this tragic incident,” the police department said.

Community members are now contributing to a growing memorial for the couple near Bee’s River, local network WCVB reports. Resident Wanda McCutcheon believes the community will come together to support the couple’s family, she told the outlet.

"I just can’t get them out of my mind, to be honest with you. I hope the family knows that," she said.