Derry Fire Rescues Two Children who Fall through the Thin Ice Engine 1, Medic 1, Medic 2 and Car 1 were dispatched to 4 Rollins Street, Hood Park, for two children through the ice. Derry Engine 4 was enroute to check an illegal outside burn in the same area and immediately diverted to the call. Engine 4 arrived on scene and saw two boys, in the water, 130 feet from the shore. One boy was clinging to the ice and another boy was bobbing in the water struggling to stay afloat. The boys, twelve year old friends had gone to Hood Park to play street hockey, when they decided to venture onto the skim coating of ice on Hood Pond to play “ice hockey.” 23 year old Daniel Williams of Derry was also at Hood Park, shooting hoops, when he heard the two boys screaming for help and called 911. Two minutes after being dispatched Derry Engine 4 arrived on scene with Firefighter Jim Hoffman, who had dressed in an ice-rescue suit while enroute to the call. The Engine 4 crew of Lt. Richard Payne and Firefighter/Paramedic Steve Auger with the help of Derry Police Sgt. O’Donaghue, Officer Houlis, and Officer Starkey tended the rescue line that was attached to Firefighter Hoffman as he crawled across and broke through the thin ice to get to the two boys. They were soon joined by Firefighter/Paramedic Daviault and Firefighter Tom Porter of Derry Medic 1. Once he reached the hole in the ice he found one boy still clinging to the ice and the other boy was submerged with only his hand above the water. The water was about seven feet deep at this point. He then grabbed hold of both boys, while the line crew pulled him back to shore. At one point Firefighter Hoffman got wedged against the ice, and while holding a boy in each arm used his elbows to break himself free which allowed the line crew to drag him to shore. It took all seven men on the line crew to pull Firefighter Hoffman and the two boys off, over and through the broken ice. Firefighter Hoffman received contusions and abrasions to his back when he got wedged by the ice and when the ice cut through and ripped open the back of the ice rescue suit. Two crew members, in ice rescue suits from Engine 1, Firefighter/Paramedic Tom Beaumont and Firefighter Anthony DeRosa had entered the water at this point and were set up to assist Firefighter Hoffman if needed. It was only six minutes from the time the call was dispatched to the time the boys were rescued. They were in the water an estimated eight to nine minutes. If there had been any delay in response or the rescue, it is likely that at least one of the boys would have submerged under the ice. The rapidness of the rescue was a direct result of the training of the Engine 4 crew combined with the teamwork between them and the Derry Police Officers. Once on shore the two boys were carried to waiting ambulances by the Derry Engine 1 crew. The boys were transported by Derry Medic 1 and Medic 2 to Parkland Medical Center with severe hypothermia, each with very low body temperatures. They were treated, warmed, and released several hours later from Parkland. Firefighter Hoffman only required first aid treatment back at the station. Despite the cold weather, ice is very thin, and most likely will remain thin and of poor quality for until January. On the Web site of the New Hampshire Fish and Game are very good resources on ice safety. They recommend that it takes a minimum of four to six inches of solid bluish-black ice to support a few well-dispersed people, while eight to 10 inches of solid ice is needed to support OHRV activity. Incident #2014-3869 was dispatched at 16:53; Engine 4 arrived on scene at 16:55; the rescue was completed at 16:59, and the call was under control at 17:12.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 10:20:40 +0000
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