Ossipee — February 9, 2008 — Two people suffered hypothermia after going through the ice on Ossipee Lake Saturday morning. Officials said they were on a snowmobile heading to an ice house to take part in the Great Rotary Fishing Derby when they went through.
According to rescuers, the victims’ friends witnessed the crash and rushed to their aid. The fishermen were able to pull one victim out quickly but couldn’t reach the other victim. That person actually went under the water twice before being pulled out.
Both victims were taken to Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro with hypothermia. The snowmobile remained in the water Saturday morning.
Officials are warning anyone who heads out onto the ice to be careful.
Traveling across ice can be very dangerous. During winters with heavy snows on top of solid ice the weight of the snow can push the ice downward causing water to come up through cracks and holes in the ice. A new upper layer of ice can form that is thin. It happened to me one winter while driving my Jeep across the lake. I broke through the upper layer but fortunately when I hit the lower layer of ice it was still thick enough to support the vehicle.