4 Boys Fell Through Thin Ice
Two boys were rescued Wednesday afternoon about 3:30 p.m. after falling through thin ice at a pond at The Clayson apartment complex in Palatine (Dana Rebik/WGN News). YouTube Tips ⓘ
A 4 year-old boy, who fell through ice and did not re-surface from an apartment complex pond died Wednesday night at 11:43 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. The boy died about eight hours after he was rescued by fire department divers, and after he was submerged for at least 10 minutes in icy water in a pond in the block of 800 Panorama Drive in Palatine.
The other young boy — a 6 year-old who was also submerged for several minutes after breaking through thin ice — died at 3:54 a.m. Thursday, November 24, 2022. Two other young boys escaped serious injury when all four fell through thin ice.
The 4 year-old died after he was transferred to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital from Northwest Community Hospital.
The 6 year-old boy died after he was transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn from Northwest Community Hospital.
Police, firefighters and paramedics from Palatine responded about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 23, 2022 to a report that four boys fell into a pond in the block of 800 Panorama Drive in Palatine. Callers reported four victims fell into the pond and that two victims did not re-surface. Northwest Central Dispatch automatically activated a Drowning Level 2 response, which brought divers and resources from nearby fire agencies, including Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, and Streamwood. Initially, a total of 13 divers were assigned to the scene, and then a total of 18 divers were assigned.
Two victims were able to get out of the water on their own or with the help of neighbors, who came to the rescue before police, firefighters, and paramedics arrived. Some of those citizen rescuers were also at risk, as they felt themselves unable to move because of exposure to the cold water or because they also fell through the ice, according to an interview with WGN News.
Ambulance 82’s paramedic crew was en route to Northwest Community with the first victim that was submerged by 3:47 p.m. By 3:50 p.m., the next victim was removed from the water as he was held by a firefighter/diver who was rapidly pulled to shore with a rope. According to witnesses at the scene, they saw paramedics administer CPR to the second victim. Initially it was uncertain whether CPR was required for the first victim.
All victims were out of the water by 3:50 p.m., and assigned divers that weren’t already on the scene were returned.
Initially, it was uncertain whether citizen rescuers helped get the first submerged victim out of the water. There was a thin layer of opaque or almost clear ice over much of the the water surface of the pond. There was a large hole in the ice where the boys fell through. The boys ages were believed to range from age 3 to age 7, according to a neighbor’s statement to WGN News.
According to the Palatine Police Department, both victims were transported to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. One of the victims was transferred from Northwest Community Hospital or was re-routed directly to Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, which also has a pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The first victim leaving the scene for the hospital was transported by a Palatine Fire Department paramedic crew. The second victim was transported away from the scene was transported by a Hoffman Estates Fire Department paramedic crew.
Police were on the scene investigating the area Wednesday night. The Clayson apartments are located on the west side of Quentin Road between Northwest Highway and Dundee Road on the far northwest side of Palatine near Lake Zurich and Inverness.
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The information in this article is an early report published before any summary information was confirmed or released by police or fire authorities.
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