9 January 2009

Firefighters are renewing their plea to the public to keep away from frozen lakes and waterways during the current cold spell.

It follows two incidents in Aylesbury today. In the first, a crew from Aylesbury Fire Station was returning from carrying out a fire safety check at a resident’s home when firefighters noticed a group of young people playing on the frozen canal near Tring Road.

Station Manager Paul McShane said: “They explained to the group that they could easily fall through into the icy water and get into serious difficulties. The young people stopped immediately and left the scene.”

In the second incident, at 2.51pm, a shopkeeper at Watermead dialled 999 because she feared for the safety of six young people ice-skating on the frozen lake.

Paul said: “One minute she could see them skating, and then the next she realised she could no longer see them.”

Two crews from Aylesbury Fire Station carried out a thorough search of the area and left after establishing that no-one had fallen through.

Paul said: “We are urging people to stay away from frozen water. The ice can give way at any time and the consequences could be fatal.”

Yesterday afternoon, crews in Milton Keynes pulled a woman to safety using rescue lines and inflated hoses after she fell into a lake while trying to rescue her dog.

She was taken to hospital by South Central Ambulance Service and the dog was cared for by Thames Valley Police.