Happy ending to trio of youth on Woods Lake outing
By Contributor
Three Lake Country youths turned a potentially tragic event into a celebration of bravery after they rescued each other from the frigid winter waters of Wood Lake last month.
On Friday, February 17, barely more than a week after a Lake Country man had died when he fell through the ice, three Lake Country youths ventured onto Wood Lake.
The ice appeared to be safe, and indeed much of it was, so they decided to explore a little.
About twenty-five feet from shore, one of the group, a 12 year old boy, fell through the ice into the freezing waters.
The two girls with him (11 and 12) attempted to help him but the younger girl fell through the ice as well. Her arm was in a sling and she was immediately having difficulty staying above water.
The boy, realizing that he needed to get her out, dove under water and pushed the girl up onto the ice where she lay suffering from the shocking effects of the cold.
The boy was still trapped however as he was unable to get himself high enough onto the ice to pull himself the rest of the way. Each attempt seemed to break the ice that much more. The older girl, being on thicker ice, managed to pull the boy up part way so that he could self-rescue.
Freezing and in shock, the three made their way to the young girl’s home where they were warmed and treated for effects of hypothermia.
The boy’s selfless act surely saved the life of the younger girl, and the assistance of the older girl, in turn, saved the boy.
