A fisherman was taken to the hospital with severe hypothermia after falling through ice into a Woodstock lake late Saturday morning, according to fire officials.
Bungay Fire Brigade Chief Roy Chandler says a man ice fishing on Bungee Lake fell through the ice into the cold water sometime Saturday morning. He was able to pull himself back onto the ice, but became stranded as other pieces broke off around him. Firefighters responded around 11:25 a.m. and found the man 400 to 500 feet out toward the center of the lake.
Firefighters donned cold water immersion suits and broke through the ice until they were close enough to put the victim on a cold water rescue sled. It took firefighters between 30 and 40 minutes to get the victim out safely. It was not clear how long he was on the ice before that. He was transported by Woodstock EMS to Day Kimball Hospital where he is being treated for hypothermia, according to firefighters.
According to Chandler, The ice was only about 2-3 inches thick due to warming temperatures this past week, which is too thin to hold the weight of an average man. Firefighters stress that the ice is no longer safe to walk on.
