Monsey Boy Rescued After Falling into Semi-Frozen Lake

A nine-year-old Monsey child who fell through the ice on a nearby lake late this afternoon is lucky to be alive.

In the middle of a residential neighborhood in Monsey, the nameless boy was one of two kids who went to play on Lake Suzanne’s frozen surface.

The ice on the lake was not strong enough to support the boys, and it broke under their weight, sending one into the chilly waters of Lake Suzanne while the other managed to scramble safely back to shore, a distance of about 30 to 40 feet, due to the weather hovering around above average temperatures this winter.

To help the youngster stay afloat, a bystander who spotted him floundering in the water close to Vincent Road called Rockland Hatzolah and threw a ball into the water.

At 5:20 PM, Rockland Hatzolah contacted Chaverim and requested that they send a boat to the location immediately.

Yossi Margaretten, the Chaverim coordinator, predicted that the nearest Chaverim member would arrive at the lake in 60 to 90 seconds.

According to Margaretten of VIN News, “He grabbed his ladder and laid it out on the ice, stepping on the rungs so that he shouldn’t put as much pressure on the ice.” He ended up in the water, around four to five feet high, even though the ice had fractured.

The frightened youngster was saved by a member of Rockland Hatzolah as well as a Satmar yeshiva driver who stopped his school bus on the side of the road and dove into Lake Suzanne.

The youngster was brought to Westchester Medical Center by Hatzolah after being successfully rescued from the ocean.

The rescuers were successfully brought to the shore by Chaverim members who had thrown ropes into the lake.

Saving a child gives you a fantastic feeling, said Margaretten, who recalled playing on Lake Suzanne’s ice as a little child during more brutal winters. Mothers must explain to their children that the lake is not a safe location to play because this winter has been cold enough for it to be safe to go out on the ice.”