Deputies are crediting alert neighbors, personal flotation devices, and the quick work of Tomahawk firefighters in saving three people who broke through the ice on Lake Alice Saturday afternoon in the Town of King.
A seasonal resident on Shady Shore Rd. called 911 at 12:38 p.m. to report two ATV’s had broken through the ice and the occupants were in the water. As the call was being placed, the witness stated all three people had gotten out of the water and were walking across the ice to land. But a second call from a cabin owner on North Twin Lake Rd. minutes later reported at least one of the parties had fallen back in the water.
Deputies along with Tomahawk EMS and the Tomahawk Fire Department all responded to the scene. When paramedics arrived, they reported two people were stranded on thin ice while a third was treading water, all of the parties were over 300 feet off the shoreline and out of reach of rescuers.
When Tomahawk Firefighters arrived on the scene, a firefighter wearing a cold water suit attempted to walk out to the group but he kept falling through the ice as well. Firefighters deployed two boats to the water but it took extensive time for firefighters to break through the ice to get their boats to the victims.
The victim still in the water, a 64 year old De Pere man was removed from the water and brought to shore by firefighters. From there he was transported by paramedics to Ministry Sacred Heart Hospital where they were met by the Spirit Medical Helicopter and he was flown to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield. The other two victims, a 42 year old De Pere man and his 13 year old daughter, were also brought to shore by fire department boat. They were checked by EMS and driven back to their cabin by a deputy after they refused medical transport.
According to the Rec. Deputy’s report, the group found the ice in front of their cabin was 20″ thick when they decided to take a ride on their four wheelers. They were traveling on the lake when the rear wheels of the machine containing the father and daughter broke through the ice. They yelled to the grandfather who was on the lead machine, he stopped and his machine immediately broke through the ice. The young lady was in the water for about a minute, her father spent an estimated 15 minutes in the water, and it took over half an hour to get the elder of the group out of the water. Everyone agreed if they wouldn’t have taken the time to put on their personal flotation devices the outcome would most likely have been tragic.
The 64 year old man was held overnight and released from the trauma center at St. Joseph’s in Marshfield after being treated for hypothermia. No citations will be issued but the group was informed of the DNR requirements to have their ATV’s removed from the lake.