Surface Ice Rescue Incident – 1300 Block of McDowell Road, Naperville, Illinois. Naperville Fire and Police Department Personnel responded to the report of an 11-year-old child who had fallen through the ice on a local retention pond. Fire and Police personnel worked together to successfully rescue the child from the ice as seen in the video.
At 4:49PM on Sun., Jan. 13, 2019 Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a 911 call from a third-party caller who advised a child had fallen through the ice, into a retention pond, at an apartment complex located in the 1300 block of McDowell Road.
PSAP immediately dispatched a rescue response assignment bringing 2 engine companies, 2 truck companies, 1 water rescue unit, 2 ambulances, and 2 incident commanders to the scene. The assignment brought a total of 21 initial personnel to the incident.
After the initial dispatch, PSAP immediately requested a water rescue box alarm from MABAS Division 16 which mobilized divers and shore support personnel from four surrounding fire departments.
Engine 4 and Medic 4 arrived on scene within four minutes of being dispatched and reported that there was a
child in the center of a retention pond, surrounded by ice.
Personnel immediately began operations to perform a surface ice rescue of the victim. The victim is an 11 year-old male who was able to communicate with rescue personnel and advised that his feet were stuck in the muddy bottom. A Naperville Police Sergeant deployed a rescue disc that was thrown to the victim as fire department personnel made entry into the ice covered pond.
Fire Department personnel had the victim removed from the water within four minutes of arriving on the scene. The victim was moved into a waiting paramedic ambulance where he received medical treatment. The patient was transported to Edward Hospital in stable condition. There were no injuries to any firefighters operating at the
scene.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Naperville Police Department. Station coverage
was provided by the Wheaton & Plainfield Fire agencies during this incident.
Report submitted by James C. Kubinski, EMT-P, Bureau Chief – E.M.S., Naperville Fire Department. Video from Andrew Dina, Deputy Fire Chief, Naperville Fire Department.
