Fisherman Rescued From Icy MI Lake: WATCH

KALAMAZOO, MI — Officers saved a fisherman who fell into icy water Wednesday in west Michigan, according to police.

The incident happened at 11:39 a.m. Wednesday on a small lake in the 3700 block of Greenleaf Circle in Kalamazoo, according to police.

When officers arrived, they found a 63-year-old male submerged up to his shoulders in icy water and holding onto unstable ice roughly 100 yards offshore, according to police.

Due to the unsafe ice conditions, officers needed special equipment to make the rescue, according to police.

Bodycam footage shows officer Aaron DeWaal making his way out onto the ice and securing a life preserver around the fisherman. When officers on land tried to pull him in, the ice broke, causing DeWaal to also fall into the water.

DeWaal was able to get out of the icy water and quickly repositioned himself to resume the rescue, according to police.

This time officers were able to pull both of them to land where they put the fisherman onto a specialized tarp and carried it up a hill to an ambulance, according to police.

The fisherman was taken to a nearby hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery, according to police.

Following the incident, DeWaal stopped by the hospital to check on the fisherman, who expressed deep gratitude for the rescue efforts, according to police.

Police urged residents to be careful on icy lakes because fluctuating temperatures can rapidly change ice conditions.

You can see footage of the rescue below: