Selfie gone wrong: Teens fall through Central Park thin ice
Digital Reporter
Tuesday, February 21, 2017, 7:30 PM - Selfie gone wrong. The long weekend took a scary turn for seven teenagers after falling through thin ice in New York City Monday evening.
Officials said the teens were trying to take pictures on Presidents Day when ice in a Central Park pond gave way.
According to NBC New York, the teens struggled to get out of the water before they were rescued by a group of people.
Channel 9 News reported one of the rescuers was an Australian model, Ethan Turnbull, who described the young people in the water as “overwhelmed” before they were pulled to safety.
New York City has been sitting under a dome of high pressure over the last several days, which has kept temperatures relatively mild for this time of year. Temperatures at Central Park soared to around 10 C Monday.
The New York City Fire Department said six of the seven patients were treated for hypothermia.
All were expected to be okay.
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A mild start this morning as it will not get as warm as yesterday, but temperatures will still manage to average above normal this afternoon pic.twitter.com/R3glwmpjIn
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) February 20, 2017
Be Ice Smart
Ice is never 100 per cent safe. Be sure to keep safety in mind and follow the tips below before hitting the ice.
Ice colour can help indicate the strength of ice:
- Clear blue ice is strongest
- White opaque or snow ice is half as strong as blue ice – this type of ice forms by wet snow freezing on the ice
- Gray ice is not safe. The ice gets its gray colour from the presence of water.
Safety tips below: Three key things to look out for before going out on the ice
Sources: Boat and Water Safety Minnesota Department, NBC New York, Channel 9 News
