Lake Zurich firefighter/paramedics responded to Lake Zurich near Paulus Park about 2:36 p.m. Wednesday and rescued two teenagers from and ice shelf after they fell into cold water with two other children — all residents of Lake Zurich.
A Lake Zurich public works employee initially tried to reach the stranded teenage boy, but he returned to shore because the water was too cold.
The teens were walking on the ice with a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl when they fell in the icy water. The younger and lighter children were able to gain footing on the ice, and walked toward the shore on their own. The teens were stranded on an ice shelf about 100 yards from shore. Both teens were rescued by firefighters wearing cold-water rescue suits and carrying personal flotation devices just after 3:00 p.m. The teens were transported to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital with signs of minor hypothermia.
The two younger children were released to their parents after they were checked by paramedics.
Firefighter/paramedics from Arlington Heights, Long Grove and Palatine Rural Fire Protection District were called in to help about 2:50 p.m. — either at the scene or at fire stations for standby coverage of Lake Zurich.
Ice is much weaker in late winter and early spring, and especially dangerous in open water. Sometimes people can manage to crawl or slither on ice so they don’t fall through, but even an elbow can punch through the water an immerse a victim’s face or a rescuers face into the ice cold water.
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