Dog owner found in frigid pond was searching for his pup before he died, NC cops say
A dog owner found dead in a frigid pond had been searching for his pup before tragedy struck, North Carolina officials said.
Phillip Daniel Skelley, 34, likely fell through the ice while trying to save his dog from the frozen pond, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.
“Investigators believe that Skelley’s dog may have been on the ice when it gave way and Skelley attempted to go after the dog to rescue it, but the ice gave way under him as well,” deputies wrote in a news release. “At this time, there are no signs of foul play and Mr. Skelley’s death appears to have been an accident.”
Skelley’s body was pulled from the water after a search that started Sunday, Jan. 19. As of Jan. 21, the dog hadn’t been found.
“Based on the water temp and the dangers involved, the underwater search of the pond was discontinued by the Guilford Association of Scuba Professionals (GASP) dive team once Mr. Skelley’s body was recovered,” Lt. Kevin Suthard, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told McClatchy News via email.
First responders started looking for Skelley after he was reported missing in Reidsville, a roughly 25-mile drive northeast from Greensboro. At the time of his disappearance, he had been looking for his dog.
A K-9 team tracked Skelley to a pond and found “two holes in the ice, one larger and one smaller,” indicating he and the dog likely fell through. Several agencies worked together to find Skelley’s body, the sheriff’s office said.
Skelley was reported missing on a day when temperatures in the area hovered between 45 and 28 degrees. A blast of wintry precipitation hit central North Carolina two days later, bringing snow and slick roads to some areas, according to the National Weather Service.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 6:31 AM with the headline "Dog owner found in frigid pond was searching for his pup before he died, NC cops say."
