Warning about unsafe ice after rescue in Warren County
WARREN COUNTY, NY -- Warren County Office of Emergency Services is advising residents of particularly dangerous ice conditions this winter after numerous fire departments responded for an ice rescue in Queensbury on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
With more rain and another warmup forecast later this week, those planning to venture onto frozen waters in Warren County should be aware that the ice that has formed on most lakes and ponds was unsafe as of this week because of recent warm weather.
The Warren County Marine Rescue team pulled a 74-year-old Queensbury resident from Glen Lake on Tuesday morning after he broke through ice while skating. The man was in the water for about 15-20 minutes, and his injuries weren’t deemed life-threatening after volunteer firefighters from around the region, led by the Bay Ridge Fire Department, used boats and coldwater rescue equipment to retrieve him. (Photo of rescue attached, cutline below.)
Said Ann Marie Mason, Warren County Director of Emergency Services: “We are glad that Tuesday’s rescue ended well for all involved, but it could have very easily been a tragedy if not for the great turnout by our well-trained firefighters. With the weather we have had so far this winter, please know that ice thickness is not what it usually is in mid-January, and stay off until we have a prolonged cold snap.”
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation recommends staying off ice unless there is a minimum of 3-4 inches of solid ice, and checking ice thickness before venturing out. On Glen Lake, there was about 1.5 inches of ice where the skater fell through on Tuesday.
Read more about the DEC’s ice safety recommendations here.
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Photo cutline: Bay Ridge Fire Department members work to rescue a man who fell through ice on Glen Lake in Queensbury on Tuesday, June 10, 2023. Photo courtesy of Bay Ridge Fire Department.