Caution: Thin Ice ~ A Rescue at Fawn Lake

January 26, 2021
“Presumption often ventures quite too near, where danger should awaken wholesome fear” — Henry Davenport Northrop, 1893.

Fire Chief David Grunes on Tuesday, advised residents to “stay off all ice” outdoors.

“Temperatures have been above average through this point in the winter,” he pointed out. “Adding to the hazards, some of our ponds are fed by underground springs that keep the water moving and impact the depth of the ice.”

The chief’s reminder comes a couple of days after a resident rescued a youngster who had fallen through thin ice on Fawn Lake during a pickup hockey game on the Springs Road edge of the lake.

Dan Walsh, who was skating nearby, said he heard the boy’s friends yelling. “He was struggling and couldn’t touch the bottom,” Walsh related. “I told them to all get back and I got on my belly and extended a hockey stick to him. He grabbed the blade and I pulled him. He was soaked right up to his neck.”

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Walsh, 60, said that many new residents are not familiar with the lake and its tendencies. He noted that years ago he also ran into the pond at Springs Brook Park to rescue a struggling child.

“We are urging people to be aware of the hazards of thin ice,” Chief Grunes said. He referred to a state advisory, which points out that “the only safe ice is at a skating rink. Ice on moving water in rivers, streams, and brooks is never safe.”

“The thickness of ice on ponds and lakes depends upon water currents or springs, depth, and natural objects. Changes in temperature cause ice to expand and contract, which affects its strength. Because of these factors, ice cannot be called safe,” the report said.

Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763

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