3 Kids Among 5 People Rescued After UTV Plunges Through Ice on Maine Pond

A rescue sled was pushed over the ice, allowing the five individuals to be pulled back to safety within 47 minutes of the initial rescue call

Five people, including three children, were rescued after their utility task vehicle (UTV) fell through ice on a pond in Maine.

The rescue mission began after 5:26 PM on Saturday when the Denmark Fire Department was dispatched to Moose Pond by the Oxford County Regional Communication Center.

The department shared in a post on Facebook that they were initially told that there were "three to four people on the ice" but discovered that there were five individuals who needed assistance and were hypothermic after their arrival.

"[The vehicle] sank in about seven feet of water, so the five people [could] barely fit standing on top of the roof of the vehicle, and they started yelling for help, and it took, from what we could determine, somewhere around 10 to 15 minutes for the people in the house [nearby] to hear them calling," Denmark Fire Chief Chris Wentworth told News Center Maine.

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Wentworth's team requested assistance from Bridgton Fire & Rescue ice rescue personnel, the Brownfield Volunteer Fire Department, and ambulances from United Ambulance Service and Fryeburg Rescue.

Fryeburg Rescue shared in their own Facebook post that the call was"amongst several" 911 calls they received on Saturday, and they were able to assist the department with two ambulances that had both on and off-duty personnel.

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Thanks to their collaborative efforts, a rescue sled was pushed over the ice, allowing the five individuals to be pulled back to safety within 47 minutes of the initial call.

According to the Denmark Fire Department, they were transported to a local hospital for treatment, and the incident remains under investigation by the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

The department ended its Facebook post by thanking the Oxford County Regional Communication Center for "handling multiple calls across the county while simultaneously contacting the other agencies who assisted us."

According to the Lakes Environment Association, Moose Pond is "a favorite spot for many anglers, boaters, and swimmers."

While speaking to News Center Maine, Wentworth confirmed that those rescued included two adults and three children, and advised his community about getting on the ice.

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"I would absolutely caution anyone taking any type of machine out onto the ice right now. In this area, there's constantly water flowing which makes it also difficult for the ice to form unless we have an exceptionally cold winter," he told News Center Maine.

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