Massachusetts
Video shows firefighters rescue man and dog from icy Massachusetts lake
WELLESLEY – A Wellesley father of three and his dog are home safe after first responders rescued them from a freezing lake on Sunday.
Dramatic drone video shows the daring rescue on Sunday as a first responder crawls on thin ice to help Ed Berger struggling in a frigid icy Lake Waban. But it wasn’t just Ed in the water, his 8-year-old Cockapoo Tommy had fallen in the lake first.
“Traumatic experience”
“It was definitely a pretty traumatic experience,” said Ed Berger. “I think anybody who owns a pet would do the same thing, I just knew I had to do something.”
It began on a walk when Tommy saw birds, then ran off, but tumbled into the freezing lake.
As fast as Ed could act, he grabbed a boat from Wellesley College, then went after Tommy, putting his Mass. Maritime cold-water training to the test.
“I did a couple of things right and I did a couple of things wrong because obviously becoming part of the problem was not my intention,” said Ed Berger. “I knew the first thing I needed to do was control my breathing and not panic and I had the boat.”
But boat tipped over. Within minutes, firefighters and police teamed up to first pull the father of three out of the water. Then they got Tommy out too.
“I kept telling the fire department, ‘I’m fine I’m totally fine go save the dog,’ but they said ‘no sir, people first, it must be people first,’” said Ed Berger.
Tommy was taken to the Veterinary Emergency Group where Dr. Allan Heuerman treated the dog.
“Our first concerns are hypothermia,” said Dr. Heuerman. “Tommy’s a fighter, that definitely helped him stay alive and breathing and fighting throughout this whole process, so definitely lucky.”
Ice warning
It’s a dangerous time on the ice that can lead to tragedy, like in Atkinson, New Hampshire where a 56-year-old mom fell through ice and drowned over the weekend.
In Wareham, first responders found a man clinging to a kayak after he had fallen through an icy pond.
“Even though we’ve had cold temperatures. We don’t really recommend going in there at all because you never know if the water is moving, if there’s a pocket of warmer water underneath,” said Wellesley Fire Chief Matthew Corda.
What could have ended in tragedy, became a happy ending for Ed and Tommy, and for that they’re so thankful to the first responders and medical staff who made it happen.
“The fact that they got me, and they got him was just absolutely amazing, so incredibly thankful,” said Ed Berger.
First responders say the lesson here is to keep your dogs on leashes and if they go out into the ice, don’t follow them, just call 911.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man accused of wanting sex with girl busted in World Cup trafficking operation
A Massachusetts man who allegedly looked to have sex with a 15-year-old girl and bring drugs and alcohol to the meet-up has been arrested during a crackdown on human trafficking amid the World Cup.
Richard Lallier, 34, of Rehoboth, is one of 13 individuals who face exploitation and trafficking charges stemming from an operation that the FBI Boston has partnered on with the Massachusetts State Police and Rhode Island State Police during the global soccer tournament, dubbed “Operation Red Card.”
“Participating agencies emphasized that while major international sporting events bring significant economic and cultural benefits to host communities,” the Rhode Island State Police said in a statement on Tuesday, “they may also create opportunities for traffickers and those who exploit vulnerable populations.”
“Law enforcement agencies throughout the region remain committed to proactive enforcement efforts designed to deter human trafficking, identify victims, and hold offenders accountable,” the State Police added.
The Rhode Island State Police arrested six individuals, including Lallier, while the Massachusetts State Police apprehended seven suspects during a five-day operation between June 12 and 16.
The suspects arrested in Massachusetts range in age between 21 and 71, all of whom have been arraigned on state charges of sex for a fee with a child under 18, enticement of a child under 16, and attempted rape of a child.
In Rhode Island, Lallier, with a last known address in Rehoboth, is being held without bail on charges of attempted enticement, attempted interstate travel for sexual contact with a minor under 16 years old, and attempted transmission of obscene material to a minor.
Lindsay Laurie, a Rhode Island state trooper who went undercover to operate a Facebook profile that featured “age-regressed images” of herself, said in an affidavit that she informed Lallier via Messenger that he was speaking to a 15-year-old.
In response, Lallier, who went by the name of “Frank Land” on Facebook, allegedly said he was 34 years old before he asked for a “naughty video.”
Lallier also allegedly “sent multiple videos of his penis” to the undercover profile.
Two days later, last Wednesday, Lallier messaged the undercover profile again, explaining that he wanted to find “snow,” a “code word for cocaine,” Laurie stated. Lallier said he would “bring weed and fireball” to a meetup.
Last Friday, after Lallier confirmed to the undercover profile that he arrived in Rhode Island’s Lincoln Woods State Park, authorities arrested him, according to Laurie’s affidavit.
Major international events, such as the World Cup, lead to “large-scale travel” and “increased demand for lodging,” creating “opportunities for criminal exploitation,” according to Michael Soper, the program director of Boston Hotel Watch, an intelligence network connecting hotels and law enforcement.
Soper pointed to the “rapid expansion of short-term rental platforms” in creating a “significant and evolving challenge” to prevent human trafficking since the accommodations often have “less oversight, fewer standardized security protocols, and limited participation in established reporting networks.”
“As a result,” Soper said in a statement shared with the Herald, “illicit activity may occur outside the visibility of hospitality professionals and law enforcement partnerships, making the full scope of the problem difficult to measure.”
Massachusetts
Arlington Nonprofit Receives Statewide Grant Funding
“We are proud to support this remarkable group of nonprofit organizations and the essential work they do across Massachusetts,” Sincere Foundation Executive Director Rebecca Reiner said in a statement. “Their collective impact strengthens communities throughout the Commonwealth and we are honored to help advance their efforts.”
According to the foundation, grant recipients were selected across three focus areas: food security, housing stability, and safe spaces. Organizations receiving support in the food security category alongside Food Link include The Open Door in Gloucester, Worcester County Food Bank, Food For Free, and other nonprofits working to increase access to nutritious food.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man indicted on murder charge in child’s 2017 death
WORCESTER, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – A Massachusetts man has been indicted in connection with the death of a child.
Laura French, spokesperson for the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, said 35-year-old Steven Stuart of Auburn was indicted by a grand jury on a murder charge. The charge stems from the 2017 death of seven-year-old Jayden Carlson.
Stuart was convicted in September 2015 on a charge of assault and batter on a child causing serious bodily injury in connection with an August 2012 incident involving Carlson, who was two years old at the time. Stuart was sentenced to six to eight years in state prison for that conviction.
French added that Carlson suffered serious, “life-altering injuries and subsequently experienced ongoing medical complications” following the 2012 incident. Carlson died in December 2017 as a result of those injuries.
Stuart has been arraigned on the indictment and is being held without bail. His next court date is scheduled for July 20.
Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.
-
South Dakota3 minutes agoUS Rep. Dusty Johnson looks ahead after primary defeat
-
Tennessee6 minutes agoTennessee Republicans unveil monument honoring unborn children at State Capitol
-
Texas11 minutes agoUSDA reports screwworm spread in Texas
-
Utah18 minutes ago
Edwin Munk Woolley — Obituary | Larkin Mortuary
-
Vermont21 minutes agoExperienced pros have Vermont Green women’s team on cusp of USLW playoffs
-
Virginia26 minutes agoVirginia Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Night results for June 24, 2026
-
Wisconsin36 minutes ago
Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for June 24, 2026
-
West Virginia41 minutes agoMorrisey announces more than $700,000 to support rural domestic violence and sexual assault victims

