Two Fell Thru Mendota's Ice
Be careful boys and girls. Two guys went through today on the lake. It's unclear if they were anglers.
This is what Channel 3 reported:
Two men fell through the ice on Lake Mendota Wednesday afternoon in separate incidents.
The Madison Fire Department Lake Rescue Team responded to a report of an ice fisherman who had fallen through the ice near Picnic Point at 3:10 p.m. Wednesday.
Team members found the man in the water, about 150 yards from shore, holding on to the edge of the ice. The rescue divers used cold water rescue suits and an ice sled to rescue the man from the water. He was then treated by paramedics and transported to the University of Wisconsin Hospital.
While the Lake Rescue Team was working at Picnic Point, a call was received at 3:34 p.m. for another person who had fallen through the ice. That incident happened on Lake Mendota near the Memorial Union, according to Eric Dahl, public information officer at the Madison Fire Department.
In the second incident, the man was able to pull himself out of the water and was waiting inside the Memorial Union when rescuers arrived. He was treated by paramedics and transported to Meriter Hospital for observation.
Authorities said the first man was very lucky that someone else came by and found him.
"I saw around the corner, the guy was screaming and he was yelling, waving his arms. And I just went over as close as I could to where I knew it was safe and I called 911 right away and they kept me on the line until the police arrived," said Chris Hammen, who discovered the man in the water.
Dahl said that the two incidents are a reminder that despite the recent cold weather, ice thickness and conditions can be unpredictable.
This is why we test the ice with spud bars before we get in over our heads.
Thank god no one was seriously hurt.
I've been on the smaller lakes kegosa and waubesa the past week and fishing has been slowed with the high pressure. With the low front moving tonight and snow forecasted things will get going again soon.
