Man dies despite rescuers' bravery

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Niagara Falls man has died after trying to rescue his dog from the icy water of Hyde Park Lake. Witnesses and rescuers are recounting the tragic scene.

Niagara Falls Fire Battalion Chief Dan Boland and Captain Jason Zona risked their lives trying to save 70-year-old Pascal Scrufari.

"Timing was everything. We had to get him out. We thought it was doable. It was close enough. We said, 'Okay, we can do this. Just go out and grab him and come back.' It was instinctual," said Chief Boland.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they thought they were dealing with a young boy who had broken through the ice. But they quickly realized they were rescuing an elderly man. Scrufari was trying to retrieve one of his three dogs when he broke through the ice.

13-year-old Michael Culver and a friend saw it happen. They raced to find someone with a cell phone to call 911 for help.

Culver said, "I told him the guy fell into the water and we need help right away."

Boland, Zona and others worked fast to get Scrufari out of the frigid water.

Capt. Zona said, "At that point, most of the other ice we were on collapsed. So we were both in the water, and from that point pulled him to an area where we could stand where it wasn't as deep."

Sadly, Scrufari died a short time later.

"As long as the guy was all right, and as long as he was fine, I was going to feel happy about myself because I saved somebody. But it's just heartbreaking that he ended up dying. I'm really sorry for his family," said Culver.

Scrufari's three Golden Retrievers are now in the care of the Niagara County SPCA. Ironically, the shelter's board president, Brandy Scrufari, is the man's cousin.

"We're going to make a determination as to where they're going to go. One thing we are adamant about is that they all three stay together," said Scrufari.

He adds he'll be talking to his cousin's brother before deciding on adopting out the dogs. He says the shelter has already received a lot of phone calls from people interested in taking them.