Browse Sections

• Education
• Roadworks
• Shipman
• Special reports

Teenager rescued from frozen lake

by Sue Carr
27/ 2/2008

A FIRE chief is urging children to stay away from open water after a teenager playing on a frozen lake almost fell to her death.

The 17 year old was trying to reach an island in the middle of Chadwick Dam, Ashton, when she fell through the ice and became trapped waist-deep in the water. She was only rescued when passers-by Nicola and Christopher Lowe called the emergency services.

It is thought the teenager had been with friends who were stood by the dam, on Mellor Road, when the police and fire service arrived.

Nicola, 34, said: "We saw some kids messing about and as we got further along we saw a young girl stuck in the water. Three lads were throwing stones, one of them was in the water too and one of them was videoing it on his mobile phone. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

"The lad in the water was not that far in and he could walk in and out but the girl was right up at the island and there was no way she could get back. We phoned the emergency services and I talked to her until they arrived."

Firefighters from Stalybridge, Hyde and a specialist water incident team from Heywood used inflatable paths to cross the ice and carry the teenager to safety at around 4pm on Wednesday. She was taken to Tameside Hospital suffering from hypothermia but has since been discharged.

Paul Kusznir, watch commander at Stalybridge Fire Station, urged youngsters to remember the dangers and stay at the water’s edge.

He said: "It’s very enticing and it looks inviting, but if there is ice and the ice breaks, it’s absolutely freezing. Even in summertime, an inch under the water, it’s freezing and the shock could make them lose the ability to swim. Fortunately she was only in up to the waist, but Chadwick Dam is deep in parts. If she had been in a deeper part then I think she might have had more difficulty and there is always the possibility that if she had gone under the ice she might not have come up again."