Man rescued after fall through Lake Monroe iceBloomington - Rescuers pulled a man from the frigid waters of Lake Monroe Saturday afternoon.
Firefighters got the call Saturday afternoon that the man had fallen through the ice near Stipp Road, but initially, they couldn't find him.
"We got the binoculars out of our truck, still looking, can't see him," said Assistant Fire Chief Joey McWhorter Jr.
The man was able to call 911 with his cell phone and told operators exactly where he was.
"He was all the way out, just around the other side of that farthest tree," McWhorter said.
According to McWhorter, the victim walked on the frozen lake with his kayak, looking for open water hundreds of feet away from shore. He found it, but not before falling through the ice.
When rescuers got to him, he had been in the water for 45 minutes and hypothermia was starting to set in. Fortunately, the man was wearing his wetsuit and a floating device, which firefighters say helped keep him alive.
His cell phone also helped save his life.
"He told us when he goes kayaking, his cell phone is in a plastic bag right in his shirt pocket, so he can get to it quickly," McWhorter said.
The assistant fire chief says he has spent 20 years fishing the lake's waters and says people often underestimate the dangers of a frozen lake. The victim of Saturday's incident seems to have been prepared for the worst case scenario, which rescuers say made a big difference.
"He's a very lucky man," McWhorter said.
The victim was taken to Bloomington Hospital, but has since been released. Firefighters say he is doing well and stopped by the firehouse to thank rescuers and to pick up his kayaking gear.
http://www.wthr.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5563796
