KEARNEY - A man fishing on Kea Lake south of Kearney had to be rescued this evening after he fell through the ice.
Rescue personnel were called to the scene about a mile south of Kearney at 5:30 p.m. Members of the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department's Water Rescue and Recovery Team pulled the man from the water about 5:45 p.m.
The man was submerged in water up to his neck about 50 feet from the shore near the southwest corner of the lake. His fishing equipment was located another 50 yards from shore on the ice. It is not known how long he was submerged.
The temperature was about 37 degrees at the time of the accident.
Jim Kettner, an employee at the nearby FirsTier Event Center, tried to help a Kearney Police Department officer rescue the man before other rescue personnel arrived.
"I had a rope, and we tried to throw it out to him, but it wasn't long enough," said Kettner. "He was trying to kick himself up onto the ice, but every time he got his body up on it he would crash through."
Kea Lake is located on the north side of the event center.
The man was conscious during his rescue. He was immediately placed on an ambulance and transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. His condition was unknown.
In addition to KVFD and the dive team, members of the Buffalo County's Sheriff's Office and KPD helped at the scene.
Republished with permission from the Kearney Hub
