2 area snowmobilers saved after sleds break pond ice

Two area novice snowmobilers were rescued early Saturday morning after they inadvertently rode out onto a pond along State Rt. 2 in Jerusalem Township and broke through thin ice.

The young men, who suffered the effects of hypothermia but were conscious and alert, were taken to Mercy St. Charles Hospital, according to township Fire Capt. Tony Parasiliti.

“It was a great outcome to an unfortunate accident,” Captain Parasiliti said.

The pair, whose names were not available Saturday night, were crossing a snow-covered soybean field in the dark on the night of the season’s first significant snowfall, when they ventured onto the pond.

After breaking through, the men struggled for about 15 minutes to climb out of the icy water, Captain Parasliti said.

At one point, one of them got out of the water and tried to roll across the ice to shore, but the ice gave way again, he said.

But one of them managed to dial 911 on a cell phone and reached an Oregon dispatcher at 12:01 a.m. He followed the dispatcher’s instruction to use the cell phone’s light as a beacon for rescuers, who arrived about eight minutes later.

When the rescuers arrived, Captain Parasiliti said, both men were clinging to the ice’s edge with their bodies about 90 percent submerged, and it was clear one had gone under at least once.

Efforts to pull the men ashore with ropes failed twice when the ropes broke.

Rescuers then used a plastic picnic table to pull one man out of the water by about 12:15 a.m. Shortly thereafter, a pontoonlike rescue device was brought to the scene and the other man was pulled out, the captain said.

The Toledo Express Airport temperature at midnight Saturday was 17 degrees, with a wind chill of minus-8, according to the National Weather Service.

Because of the snowfall, it was unclear to the captain even after the rescue how far the snowmobilers were from the pond’s edge when the ice gave way. He spoke to both men Saturday afternoon and said they were recovering well. One of the men’s core body temperatures dropped to 80 degrees, he said.

“They were extremely thankful for the help of all the rescuers,” he said. “I think the good Lord was looking out for them myself. That’s my personal view on that.”

About 25 emergency responders from Jerusalem and Oregon fire departments, Oregon Police Department, and the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office were on the scene. A Jerusalem Township diver was at the ready, but was not needed to enter the water.

A Toledo dive team was dispatched, but was canceled en route when both men were rescued.

The pond is about 600 feet from State Rt. 2 and about a quarter mile east of North Curtice Road. The owners of the property were unaware of the accident and rescue attempt until Saturday morning, when they saw evidence of activity in the snow and found two helmets on the ice, Captain Parasiliti said.

The snowmobiles, which remained submerged, will be retrieved as part of a Jerusalem dive team training exercise at noon Sunday, the captain said.

One of the men was in his 20s and the other in his 40s, the captain said. One was from Jerusalem Township while the other was from Northwood.

The captain warned of the likelihood of similar incidents with many snowmobilers riding late into the night. While emergency responders were helping the two men out of the pond, one team member counted seven other snowmobilers riding after midnight in the immediate area.

“Our fear is we’re going to see this again,” Captain Parasiliti said.

His advice to snowmobilers and outdoor enthusiasts: “Know your surroundings and have a plan. If something happens, how are you going to get some help?”

Snowfall Friday night into early Saturday at Toledo Express Airport was 3.6 inches. That was three times the highest snow total from any other storm so far this season.

Slippery roads were blamed for several traffic crashes around the Toledo area later Saturday, including one in which a rescue vehicle responding to a crash on northbound I-75 at Alexis Road was struck by tractor-trailer that jackknifed when its driver tried to slow down at the scene.

Five minor injuries were reported, including two firefighters in the rescue vehicle and one to a Washington Township police officer who slipped on ice and fell. The freeway was closed for several hours.

Staff writer Tony Cook contributed to this report.