Lake rescue mission called off

ST. MARYS - A search and rescue mission Monday for three children believed to have fallen through the ice on Grand Lake had a happy ending.

After more than two hours, the search by scores of emergency personnel was called off when it was determined no one had fallen through the ice along the north shore of a beach in Grand Lake St. Marys State Park, according to St. Marys Township Fire Chief Chad Hicks.

Two people called 911 at 8:53 a.m. Monday reporting three children on the lake suddenly disappeared, leading the callers to think they had fallen through the ice, Hicks said.

St. Marys Township Fire Department, the lead agency, arrived on the scene south of Cedarhurst Drive at 9:23 a.m, according to Hicks. More than 50 emergency personnel, including dive and ice rescue teams from St. Marys Township, the city of St. Marys, Celina and Montezuma stormed the area to conduct an extensive, coordinated search in the lake. Several fire trucks, ambulances and Auglaize County Sheriff's Department cruisers were parked nearby.

"We received a phone call approximately an hour ago of possibly three children that (were) out on the ice, and they were no longer seen," St. Marys Fire Department Chief Doug Ayers said during the search. "We have searched area houses looking for any children that were missing. Nobody seems to be missing at this time. We did have a witness of some children walking down the road that may have been them."

Auglaize County Sheriff's Office deputies at the scene interviewed three children who were later whisked away in one of the department's SUVs.

Officers were unsure whether those children were the ones the callers believed had fallen through the ice, Auglaize County Sheriff Al Solomon said this morning.

Emergency personnel upon arrival made contact with bystanders and began searching for open water where the 911 callers indicated the children may have fallen through the ice.

"First thing we do is evaluate to see if there's what's called open water, which means that's where the ice has been broken," Ayers said.

Hicks said open water was located near the end of the breakwaters. Although footprints could be seen near the open waters, there were no signs of distress indicating someone had fallen through, he said. However, rescue workers still searched the open waters, according to Hicks, who noted the 911 callers were adamant the children had gone under.

Divers entered the water after forcibly breaking the ice in fragile areas and employing chainsaws to increase the surface area of the open water.

"We do as much as we can to keep our guys out of the water," Ayers said. "As you can see, there's a lot of yellow and orange. Those are all ice rescue suits to help keep them warm so they can actually go in. If they can touch bottom, they'll get in and do some reaching."

The divers used reaching sticks and other means to search for obstructions in the water. The water was about 5 feet deep and the ice was up to 2 inches thick.

A rescue diver from the Celina Fire Department later searched the waters more thoroughly, Hicks said.

Most of the personnel then gathered near the beach for further instructions. Hicks told them to continue the search on foot since the 911 callers were so sure children had fallen in.

Three groups of five workers searched for additional open water along the banks of the lake in what Hicks called "a very large search area."

The search was called off at 11:27 a.m., Hicks said.

"All the agencies worked very well together with no issues," he said, adding the morning served as a very large practice drill for the rescue workers.

"Usually when winter first hits, we'll be able to go out and practice and then again toward the end of winter, usually the two most dangerous times when the ice is not as thick," Ayers told the newspaper.

Hicks hadn't yet calculated a cost estimate but said the operation will be very expensive.

Officials offer ice safety guidelines:

Officials warn that ice is never completely safe on any waterway.

"We just don't recommend anyone going out on the ice at all," Celina Fire Chief Doug Wolters said. "There are just too many unknowns. If you do go, make sure you stay close to the shore or ice skate in a channel where there are people watching and can be of assistance. Even though it may look safe, it doesn't mean it is."

The following ice safety tips were provided by Wolters and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources:

• Do not venture out on the ice unless you know for sure it is completely safe. If on foot, new, clear ice needs to be 4 inches thick. Ice needs to be 5 inches thick for snowmobiles or ATVs and 8-12 inches thick for cars and trucks.

• Open water areas made by animals and geese exist on the lake.

• Watch weather conditions as they constantly change. A quick thaw can cause the ice to become extremely dangerous even if it freezes again.

• Never go out onto the ice alone.

• If you go, have a cellphone in a watertight container and a rope or ice pick.

• If you fall through the ice, crawl to the edge and keep pushing with your feet until you can safely crawl onto the surface. Do not stand up or attempt to run; roll away from the hole until you hit solid ice.

• Wear clothing that is buoyant and always wear a life vest.