STANSBURY PARK, Utah — Around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, North Tooele Fire District received a call about a man who fell through ice at Stansbury Lake while trying to rescue his dog.
“If there is any doubt whatsoever, please stay off the ice,” said Jon Smith, public information officer for North Tooele Fire District.
Smith shared what to do in a similar situation.
“Obviously, the first instinct is to save the pet,” he said. “But really the proper thing to do in that situation is to call 911. And we’ll come out just as quickly for a pet as we would anybody else.”
The North Tooele Fire District said the man was in the water for 20 minutes. Smith said unpredictable weather calls for people to take extra precaution.
“It’s February. It’s warmer than average temperatures, we also have some rain,” he explained. “That can make things very deceptive because the ice may look solid but water on top may not be as thick as the water underneath because of the air temperature and the rain falling melts and then refreezes.”
Kathleen Steadman, a representative for the Utah Drowning Prevention Coalition, said to watch out for ice thickness.
“We need it to be at least four inches for it to support a person, but it’s really hard to tell how thick the ice is especially from the shore,” she said. “So, it’s best to not go on the ice unless there are professionals who have done measurements.”
The man was pulled to safety with a rope. Fire officials said the man and dog were treated on the scene and recovered.
“The American Red Cross uses a saying when they’re teaching people about cold water,” Steadman said over Zoom. “Think twice before going near cold water or ice.”
