2 People, 1 Dog Rescued after Falling through Ice on Hinckley Reservoir

Two people and a beloved pet are lucky to be alive after falling through the ice in Herkimer County.

Beware of Thin Ice

Trenton Joint Fire Chief Kevin Kalk said around 11:30 in the morning on Saturday, two individuals fell through the ice after trying to rescue a dog on Hinckley Reservoir. Kalk said one of the individual's dog had run out onto the frozen reservoir before landing in the water, and the owner jumped into a kayak in hopes of rescuing the animal.

That person also fell into the water when trying to pull the dog out of the frozen waters, and a good Samaritan jumped into their kayak and attempted to rescue both, but their boat also flipped.

Emergency calls were instantly made and the dog owner was able to pull themself to safety before responders arrived.

The Barneveld Fire Department was among the responders called to the scene and they recounted on Facebook:

Upon our arrival our team donned cold water rescue suits and prepped our rescue craft for deployment. A New York State Forest Ranger was able to secure the second victim and dog with a rope and members of the Newport FD rescue team deployed their rescue boat and assisted the second victim and dog from the lake, while our crews were assigned to secure and remove the kayaks from the ice.

A New York State Forest Ranger was also able to throw a rope to the bystander.

Eventually, everyone was rescued and the kayaks were recovered by Barneveld FD. The department said the rescue was a multi-district effort:

Agencies operating on the scene were Poland FD, Kuyahoora Ambulance, Newport FD, Barneveld FD, Holland Patent FD, NY State Police, NYS Forest Rangers, NYS Encon Police. Herkimer County Deputy Coordinator 22-4(McEvoy). Barneveld FD and Holland Patent responded with Squad 1 and our special operations trailer with 7 ice rescue technicians and 3 support personnel under the command of Chief Kevin Kalk.

Checkout the post from Barneveld FD below and to see pictures of the rescue in progress:

Thankfully, this story had a happy ending. Unfortunately, a similar incident involving thin ice claimed the life of one person last week.

Read More: 2 Upstate NY Brothers Fall Through Ice, 1 Dies 

This is raising calls for the community to be aware of when ice is safe to walk on and, also, what to do in the event one falls into the water.

When Is Ice Safe?

Those anxious to go ice fishing or ice skating aren't alone. It seems the season for those activities start later and later, and are growing shorter. Unusually warm weather has prevented many lakes and ponds from completely freezing over, and that is contributing to these sad headlines of people falling through the ice.

Survival Skills Guide re-issued its list of how to tell ice is safe to walk on and the risks one takes when doing so.

The outlet recommends those who are visiting a body of water to first check with locals, like a bait shop or lakeside resort, as they will be most upfront if the water is safe or not. From there, those wanting to go on the ice are urged to check if it is thick enough to support the activity you plan to do.

Some ways to tell if the ice is safe is by looking at the color, as blue to clear ice tends to be denser and stronger. Meanwhile, snow-covered ice tends to be weak and should be avoided - especially if there is slush on the surface because it indicates the ice has stopped freezing.

Additionally, gray ice is unsafe and is the weakest of the bunch.

When encountering clear or blue-colored ice, it is advised to drill or poke a hole through the ice to measure its thickness. Ice is considered safe to walk on if it is over four inches thick, as it can support at least 200 pounds.

For those wanting to go snowmobiling or use an ATV, the ice should be over 5 inches because it will be strong enough to support 800 pounds.

Cars can go on the ice as long as it is over 8 inches thick while light pickup trucks or vans can go on the ice when it is over a foot thick.

It is also strongly recommended to not go alone when heading onto the ice and to always let at least one other person know where you will be.

But, what do you do if you fall through the ice?

Staying Safe in Cold Water

The first few seconds of falling through the ice are extremely important. The shock can cause people to panic and not think clearly, which leads to people going under. Also, the body may instinctually inhale the second it hits the freezing water, which can cause them to swallow water and hyperventilate.

If you ever find yourself in this terrifying situation, you should focus on remaining calm and keeping your mouth closed as you go down. Once in the water, control your breathing as soon as your head is above water and work toward getting yourself back onto solid ground.

"Turn in the direction from which you came. It's probably the area with the strongest ice," the guide explained, adding, "Get as much of your body as you can up onto the edge."

If you get that far, hang on the side of the ice to let the water from your clothes drain. Then you should work on pulling yourself out of the ice slowly, and not scramble. Instead, kick your feet as if you are swimming and use the motion to propel yourself back on top of the ice.

Once successfully on the surface, you need to fight the urge to stand and run - because you may find yourself in the same situation. Instead, remain prone and roll away from the hole.

Survivalists say the human body has about 10 minutes before it begins shutting down, beginning with the fingers, arms and legs. If you are unable to escape the water beforehand, it is strongly advised to find a way to keep your head above water, such as treading in place or clinging to a floatation device.

Other people say they have let their sleeves freeze to the ice and have used that to anchor themselves above the water.

After an hour, hypothermia will begin to set in and you will lose consciousness.

Watch the video below to watch a play-by-play instruction of how to stay alive if you fall through the ice.

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