The icy pond and Kitterman and his dog (inset)
In a heartbreaking display of tragic heroism and selflessness, 23-year-old Luke Kitterman of New Memphis, Illinois, lost his life on Monday while attempting to rescue his dog while goose hunting with a group of buddies in rural Clinton County.
Kitterman was out with five close friends near New Baden, on a roughly 4-acre frozen pond when the incident unfolded around 3 p.m. The group had downed a bird, and Kitterman's loyal hunting dog, Bourbon, dashed across the ice to retrieve it. The ice, which was reportedly only about three inches thick, gave way beneath the dog, plunging Kitterman’s companion into the freezing water.
Without hesitation, Kitterman dropped to his belly and crawled carefully across the fragile surface to reach his struggling fetcher and managed to successfully pull the dog out and get it to safety. Unfortunately for Kitterman, just as he thought he’d saved his dog's life, he now found himself in jeopardy as the ice beneath him began to give way. This time both Kitterman and Bourbon fell into the freezing cold water, as Kitterman's friends rushed to help but quickly lost sight of him in the dark, frigid water as he disappeared beneath the surface.
“He was able to pull the dog back onto the ice, but the dog went in again after his owner,” said Peyton Matthews with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police. “And then after that, that is when the owner of the dog went underwater.”
“His friends did try to get out there to help him out,” Matthews said. “They were able to pull the dog out of the water and into a canoe, just unfortunately lost sight of their friend.”
A massive rescue operation that included roughly 75 first responders from a variety of agencies was immediately launched. Efforts continued into the night despite plummeting temperatures that caused the ice to refreeze over dive holes, which eventually forced rescue teams to hit pause and shift to recovery mode.
The search resumed on Tuesday morning, with about 30 responders using advanced tools like 360-degree scanning sonar to locate him. Kitterman's body was recovered around 6 p.m. that evening when St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. pronounced him dead at the scene, with the cause attributed to drowning compounded by hypothermia.
Kitterman was remembered fondly in his obituary as an avid outdoorsman who cherished hunting, fishing, boating, and conservation efforts. A proud member of Ducks Unlimited, he was passionate about protecting forests, rivers, and lakes for future generations and was said to have enjoyed life’s simple pleasures like hanging out with family and friends over beers.
“Even though his life was cut short, Luke lived life to the fullest and will be missed by all those who had the pleasure of knowing and loving him,” his family wrote.
