NORMAN — An 11-year-old girl was rescued after she fell through the inch or less ice of coating a pond in Norman on Saturday evening.
Her foot prints still can be seen making a trail across the icy pond at Northeast Lions Park at the end of North Cliff Road. She walked about 100 feet before she fell into the pond near the middle. Her shoes are still frozen in the water near the area she fell in.
Norman Deputy Fire Chief Jim Bailey said the girl, whose identity was not included in the report because of her age, was in the water — unable to touch the bottom — for about 10 minutes before she was rescued.
Norman Firefighters, EMSStat and Norman Police responded to the call on shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday.
Bailey said two firefighters were ready with life vests to go into the pond and rescue the girl but Norman Fire Department Capt. Jack Ingram threw a rope out first, which luckily landed close to the girl.
She was then pulled out of the icy pond, wrapped in blankets and transferred to Norman Regional Hospital.
EMSStat paramedics said the 11-year-old had mild hypothermia. She was treated and released from the hospital that night.
The time span from which the call was toned out to the time the girl was at the hospital was about 20 minutes, Bailey said.
“Oklahoma typically doesn’t get cold enough long enough for thick enough ice to form to walk out on it,” he said. “They recommend four inches of ice before someone walks on to it.”
Bailey said the ice the girl walked out on was only half an inch to an inch thick. She was about 30 feet away from a dock that firefighters pulled her onto during the rescue.
It has been about four or five years since the last time someone fell through ice into a body of water in Norman, he said.
“Firefighters in Norman suggest to never walk out onto the ice,” Bailey said.
With Oklahoma having swings in temperature, it is not typically a climate that will allow bodies of water to develop thick enough ice to walk on he said.
Jessica Bruha366-3540jbruha@normantranscript.com
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