Missouri firefighters' ice training turns into life-saving rescue for teens
The Maryland Heights Fire Protection District urged the public to stay off the ice.
Missouri firefighters rescue two lucky teenagers from icy lake
The Maryland Heights Fire Protection District went into response mode Tuesday, rescuing a pair of teenagers from freezing water after two boys fell through ice on Creve Coeur Lake in St. Louis, Missouri. Assistant chief at The Maryland Heights Fire Protection District recounts the rescue on ‘FOX Weather Wild.’
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. -- It turned out to be a very lucky day for a pair of teens who found themselves in a serious outdoor emergency after a thin patch of pond ice gave way on Tuesday, leaving the pair stranded in cold water.
Fortunately for the teens, a group of firefighters on a nearby training exercise spotted them in distress on Creve Coeur Lake and raced to their rescue.
"So it was, you know, go from training mode to rescue mode in a nanosecond," Steve Rinehart, assistant chief at the Maryland Heights Fire Protection District, said.
With the help of additional resources, The Maryland Heights Fire Protection District attempted the challenging ice rescue.
Firefighters said four rescuers made their way out on the thin ice and successfully pulled the pair out of the water.
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"We got dressed from the beach and went out to the two individuals in the water, got them on the line and pulled them back into the shore area," Rinehart said.
Rinehart expressed on "FOX Weather Wild" how happy he felt that everything was in place for saving the two teenagers.
"So we were just so glad to be out there with the right equipment, the properly trained personnel, even though we were short people," Rinehart said. "We made it work with what we had to get out there and get to the people because their level of consciousness was definitely deteriorating quickly."
Firefighters urged the public to stay off the ice and posted on Facebook, "These 2 were lucky with their outcome because we had crews within seconds, but not everyone is that lucky."