Red Cross luncheon honors hometown heros

Ilan Coberly, a sixth-grader in the Odessa schools, has been recognized by the Northwest Chapter of the American Red Cross under its Honoring Hometown Heroes program. At a luncheon held at Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights on November 15, Coberly received an award and an American flag for his efforts last January to save a dog that had fallen through thin ice on a pond just outside of Odessa.

After school on January 11, Coberly and two friends were walking near the pond when they saw a neighbor’s dog struggling in the icy water. The black Labrador retriever had fallen through the ice and was unable to gain a footing to get back out of the water.

Coberly went out onto the ice, which also broke through under his weight. Fortunately, the pond was not deep, and he was able to wade over to the dog in water reaching up to his chest, while his two companions went for help. He pulled the dog to safety and both he and the dog were then taken by friends and family members to get warmed up.

It was not known how long the dog had been in the water, but Coberly’s quick action certainly helped keep the animal from suffering any lingering effects from its ordeal.

Coberly’s mother immediately got her son into a warm bath, but even so, she said it was some time before he stopped shaking from the cold.

Coberly is the son of Joe and Gina Chiacchia Schlomer of Odessa.