Thin Ice Injury Prompts Warning

Firefighters and Paramedics from the Largo area responded to a 911 report of a teenaged male and his dog that had fallen through the ice. Just before 4:00 PM, Saturday, January 16, 2010, Fire/EMS units responded to a pond located in the rear of townhouses located in the 10100 block of Greenspire Way in Largo. Witnesses reported that a dog had ventured onto the ice covered pond chasing birds. The ice broke and the dog fell into the water. The dog’s owner, a 13 year-old-male, went to the aid of his dog and fell through the ice and into the freezing water. Both the male and dog treaded water for a period of time and were able to self-rescue prior to the Fire/EMS Department arrival. Paramedics treated the male for hypothermia and transported him to a local hospital for additional treatment.

The first two weeks of January 2010 have provided a period of freezing temperatures and many local ponds and other bodies of water have become ice covered. While the scene may be enticing, the ice on many of these waterways is not thick enough to support a person’s weight. Additionally, above freezing temperatures the past few days have thawed the ice cover further increasing the danger. The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department warns all citizens and residents that any body of water covered by ice should be considered extremely hazardous and should not be approached. For ice skating and other ice related activities the Fire/EMS Department recommends visiting one of your area ice skating facilities located throughout the County.

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