Fire Department

A woman was rescued after falling through the ice on Lake Mendota near Spring Harbor Park. Engine Company 9 and Medic 2 responded, finding the woman lying prone on the ice approximately 75 yards off-shore. She said she had been walking her dog when she stepped on a crack and fell through the ice, landing in waist-deep water. Her attempts to crawl back onto the ice and move away from the hole resulted in more ice breaking along the way.

One firefighter was able to approach the patient and toss a rope from about 20 feet away. The woman grabbed the rope, and firefighters successfully retrieved her from the broken ice. She was able to walk herself to the ambulance, where paramedics evaluated her. She did not suffer hypothermia and asked not to be taken to the hospital.