Overview
- St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye identified the victim as Luke Kitterman, whose body was recovered a day after he went under.
- Kitterman was goose hunting with five friends in Clinton County near New Baden when his retrieving dog fell through a frozen pond.
- He crawled onto the ice and pulled the dog out before going underwater and not resurfacing as friends tried to reach him.
- Roughly 75 responders began the search on Jan. 26, then about 30 returned the next day with divers and 360-degree scanning sonar to locate him.
- Officials reported ice about three inches thick and refreezing dive holes; the dog was rescued and placed into a canoe.