Police, rescue crews save skaters stuck on chunk of drifting ice
By Charlotte Hancox, Michael Cusanelli
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CHARLOTTE, Vermont (WPTZ) — Earlier on Tuesday, an ice rescue unfolded on Lake Champlain after a group of skaters became stranded on a chunk of ice.
Now, everyone have been safely rescued, with no injuries reported.
An ice shelf broke and started moving away from shore, taking a group of skaters with it.
“We were skating up to it and then we saw that there was no way one of them skated north, and we took a look south. We could see no area that we could skate across,” said Brett Blanchard, one of the skaters that was rescued. “It was more mild that became heavier embarrassment, which is how did we get here?”
Officials say a total of ten people were skating in the area at the time. Two people from Vermont were able to get back to shore. Three from New York found a safe ice path and made it back on their own.
The remaining five skaters were left stranded on moving ice.
“They thought it was safe enough, and then conditions changed very quickly, and they became stranded. Folks have to remember that no ice is safe ice.” Said Lieutenant Paul Ravelin with the Vermont State Police.
Another group who was about to start skating noticed the ice cracking. They then saw the skaters get stuck and quickly called 9-1-1.
“it just opened up very quickly. And we’re looking out there and we’re like, how are those guys going to get across that ice? Well, they couldn’t.” said Carol Huntington.
Multiple rescue crews throughout the area responded. The rescue took more than an hour, with skaters brought bake to land one by one.
“to happen that quickly, none of us have seen that. It’s a great life lesson, which is when you think you know ice, when you think you know things, end of the day, you may not,” said Blanchard.
Vermont State Police said anyone planning to go on the ice should always be in groups, have your phone on you, and always dress warm.
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