DENMARK, Maine — Five people had to be rescued after a “side-by-side” vehicle, or UTV, fell through the ice at a moose pond in Oxford County Saturday evening, according to Denmark Fire Chief Chris Wentworth. Ta.
The department received a report of several people stuck on the ice around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, and Denmark Fire and Rescue Services requested the assistance of ice rescue personnel from Bridgeton Fire and Rescue.
When crews arrived, they found five people on the ice, two adults and three children, suffering from hypothermia and unable to get off the ice on their own, Wentworth said.
”[The vehicle] The five people were submerged in about 7 feet of water. [could] Barley ended up on the roof of the car and started screaming for help. From what we can tell, it probably took the people in the house about 10 to 15 minutes to rescue him. [nearby] To hear their call,” he said Sunday.
Rescue workers used ice rescue sleds to bring people on the ice to shore. All five people were brought to shore less than 50 minutes after the first 911 call and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, officials said.
Several agencies assisted in Denmark’s rescue, including wardens from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife who were also on scene to assist with the investigation.
Wentworth advised Mainers to be prepared if they plan on hitting the ice this winter. He recommends carrying a buoyancy screener or equipment to check ice thickness.
“I would absolutely caution anyone taking any type of machine out onto the ice right now,” Wentworth said. “Water is constantly flowing in this area, so ice is unlikely to form unless we have a very cold winter.”