A 12-year-old boy died, and an 11-year-old girl is in critical condition after they both fell through a sheet of ice in Washington Square Park on Sunday afternoon.
NBC News reported that several children had fallen through a sheet of ice near the park’s lake house, prompting police to respond to Washington Square Park about 4:35 p.m. Officials located the girl and transferred her to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where she is currently in critical condition. The NYPD later dispatched an underwater rescue team to recover the boy’s body. The names of both victims are still pending.
Albany police say they suspect the youngster slipped through the ice while trying to walk to the lakehouse. Police believe the girl tried to help him but also fell through the ice. The Albany City School District stated that both children attended North Albany Middle School.
“Our hearts go out to the families of these students at this incredibly difficult time,” Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter said in a statement. “This is a terrible tragedy and we are grieving as a school community.” According to the district, they will be providing crisis services for those who need it when classes resume on Monday.
“It’s been many years since we had something similar to this type of episode,” Albany Fire Chief Joseph Gregory said to the Times Union . “Hopefully people will follow the rules and stay off the ice.”
Additionally, the town’s mayor released a statement regarding the unfortunate catastrophe. “My thoughts are with the families of both young residents involved in the deadly incident at Washington Park Lake,” Mayor Kathy Sheehan stated in a statement. “Yesterday was a heartbreaking reminder of how dangerous any body of water can be, especially as the temperatures drop and thin ice forms. I’d want to thank all of the first responders who worked valiantly last night to save two young lives, as well as the New York State Police Dive Team for their assistance with recovery operations.”
Gregory suggests numerous techniques to prevent falling through. The fire chief noted that there is no consistent “inch-thickness” that ensures ice is safe to walk on. Gregory further warned that all ice surfaces are unstable due to the present shifting temperatures.
Gregory also recommends avoiding any snowy surface with slush on top of it. Gregory claims that slush ice is only half as strong as clear ice, indicating that the ice does not freeze from the bottom.
Gregory concludes by advising that if someone falls through the ice, they should immediately phone 911. If you are unable to reach the individual from shore, the man proposes throwing them something to grab onto (a rope, jumper wire, or tree branch). If that doesn’t work, the man suggests that you seek assistance instead of trying to rescue them on the ice. Get medical help for the victim right away.