Firefighters Save One of Two Boys from Frozen Md. Lake

Jan. 19, 2003

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) -- Two boys fell through ice on a partially frozen man-made lake Sunday evening, and one of the boys died.

The 8-year-old boy was submerged in the lake about 40 minutes. The second boy, age 10, was pulled from the lake quickly by firefighters and taken to a hospital, said police spokesman Barry Neeb.

The boy's condition wasn't immediately available.

The man-made lake is near a park athletic complex, where the boys were attending an indoor lacrosse event, Neeb told The (Salisbury) Daily Times.

The boys were chasing a ball across the ice when they fell through, police Sgt. Regina Custer said. The 100-foot-wide lake ranges in depth from six to 20 feet.

``If you or I looked at it, we wouldn't dream of going on it,'' Neeb said. ``Some of the edges were still unfrozen. But kids look at it and think they can make it.''

About 50 people gathered around the lake as rescuers used boats and thermal imaging cameras to search for the younger boy, using poles to break the ice.

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