MONSEY (VINnews/SandyEller) – A nine year old Monsey boy is lucky to be alive after falling through the ice on a local lake late this afternoon.
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The unnamed boy was one of two children who went to play on the frozen surface of Lake Suzanne, located in the heart of a residential area in Monsey.
With the weather hovering at above normal temperatures this winter, the ice on the lake wasn’t solid enough to support the boys and it cracked beneath their weight, sending one into the frigid waters of Lake Suzanne, while the other was able to scramble safely back to shore, a distance of approximately 30 to 40 feet.
A passerby who saw the boy floundering in the water near Vincent Road called Rockland Hatzolah and threw a ball into the water in the hopes that the boy could grab it and stay afloat. Rockland Hatzolah contacted Chaverim at 5:20 PM and asked them to rush to the scene with a boat.
Chaverim coordinator Yossi Margaretten estimated that the closest Chaverim member was at the lake within 60 to 90 seconds.
“He grabbed his ladder and spread it out on the ice, walking on the rungs so that he shouldn’t put as much pressure on the ice,” Margaretten told VIN News. “Even then, the ice cracked and he ended up in the water, which was a good four to five feet high.”
A driver from a Satmar yeshiva who passed by the scene stopped his school bus on the side of the road and jumped into Lake Suzanne to help save the shivering boy, as did a member of Rockland Hatzolah.
The boy was pulled safely out of the water and was transported by Hatzolah to Westchester Medical Center.
Chaverim members at the scene stretched ropes out into the lake and used them to pull the rescuers safely to the shore.
“It’s a good feeling to save a kid,” said Margaretten, who had childhood memories of playing on the ice of Lake Suzanne in colder winters. “Mothers have to tell their kids that the lake is not a place to play because this winter just hasn’t been cold enough for it to be safe to go out on the ice.”
Stay off of the ice, regardless of what the temperatures are and regardless of the season!
Heroes!
I never understood why even adults walk on the lake even in frigid temperatures. It’s not guaranteed and its dangerous.
The combined speedy actions of Hatzolah, Chaverim, and a Satmar bus driver saved this boy’s life. Mi k’amcha Yisroel!
Very scary. May this boy only bring nachas to his family. I’m sure his parents feel relieved tonight
The most precious creation in this world should be guarded not taken lightly
Baruch Hashem ended well. Please blur the boys faces. It’s standard practice to not identify minors without parental permission.
When I was a kid about 23 years ago, my brother and i fell through the ice on Suzanne( or however you spell it ) lake I grabbed onto him and jumped out. It was freezing. It was shobbes afternoon and I was scared that my parents would find out. my pants are wet and I never told him about it.
This lake gets frozen solid. I remember the neighbors driving a pickup truck plow ON THE LAKE to shovel off the snow, so the kids can ice skate 45 years ago.
I never did understand how they knew if ice thick enough to hold up the vehicle. But that they did!
Put the camera down, find a blanket and help that poor child.
It’s global warming. The ice is thinner. Now we can understand what the polar bears are going through.