A 41-year-old ice fisherman died after jumping into a frozen pond with his brother in New York state, rangers said.
The New York State Department of Environmental Protection said in a press release that a dog walker saw two brothers fall through thin ice on Basswood Pond in Otsego County, New York and immediately called 911. .
Forest ranger Nate Laymon was on a trail just a minute from the pond when he received word that the brothers had fallen into the frigid pond.
Raymond said in a video posted on the department's social media that upon arrival, he found his 42-year-old brother, who was treading water looking for his brother.
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Nate Lamon, a forest ranger with the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, searched the frozen pond for the brothers. (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
The ranger said he carefully slid himself onto the paper-thin ice, about an inch thick.
When he reached his brother, he used a throwing bag and rope to pull him out of the water.
“Eventually he grabbed the rope and I pulled him onto the ice and coached him to kick his legs,” Raymond said.
The brothers were ice fishing on a New York pond when the accident occurred. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection said the ice was only an inch deep when they fell into the freezing water. (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
Raymond dragged the man away. suffering from hypothermiaHe was taken ashore and transported by sled to Edmeston Fire Department personnel.
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After rescuing his first brother, Raymond turned his attention to searching for his second brother, who was still missing in the frozen pond.
“I just started scanning the water. I started looking into the water to see what I could see. And I saw a red, white, and black reflective coat, and I was like, oh, this guy. I knew it had to be,” Raymond said.
“And eventually, you could see the word Polaris because he was wearing a snowmobile jacket,” Raymond said.
Nate Laymon, a forest ranger with the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, described the rescue efforts of two brothers who fell into a pond in New York. (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
At 3:05 p.m., Raymond found his 41-year-old brother in 7 to 8 feet of water.
“I grabbed him and brought him to the surface,” Raymond said. “Just trying to get him out on the ice shelf was a big problem. By that point, I was getting tired.”
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Other rescue workers helped Raymond and pulled the submerged man out of the water and onto shore.
Paramedics immediately began CPR on the man and eventually transported the two brothers to a local hospital.
The older brother was treated and released, but the younger brother was pronounced dead later that night.
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Raymond said everyone involved had done a “great job” and was proud of giving the other brother a “fighting chance” to survive the incident.
“Everyone involved in the rescue did an amazing job,” Raymond said. “Everyone did their best, protecting one person and giving the other a fighting chance.”
