Evanston Firefighters Rescue Young Girls From Ice Floe

Two 11-year-old girls were rescued by Evanston firefighters at Lighthouse Beach Saturday after a section of ice they were walking on broke off and fell into the lake.

One of the girls fell into the water but was able to get herself back onto the ice shelf that had been separated from shore, according to Dwight Hohl, division chief of Life Safety Services for the Evanston Fire Department.

Hohl said all companies, a total of 17 firefighters, responded and used a ladder to rescue the pair.

“We had about half our department out there, so we had sufficient coverage,” said Hohl. “Our dive team responded in the event one of them went under. But thankfully that was not necessary. We were lucky.”

Both girls were evaluated by emergency personnel and were taken home by their parents. The entire scene was cleared by 4:55 p.m., about a half hour after the first call.

“We had a quick response and did a good job covering all our bases,” Hohl said.

On Tuesday, the city of Evanston had issued a warning to residents not to walk on the melting shelf ice: “ The Evanston Fire Department reminds residents to use extreme caution along the lakefront, as warmer temperatures are causing shelf ice to gradually melt. Anyone who ventures onto the ice, including pets, could easily fall through, and rescue is nearly impossible. If you are planning to view Evanston’s beautiful lakefront scenery, please stay on the shore and never walk on snowy or icy areas or mounds of snow near the lakefront.”

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