With temperatures on the rise, Charlottetown police are reminding everyone that ice conditions are no longer safe.
The warning comes after the city’s firefighters rescued nine-year-old twins stuck on an ice floe on Sunday afternoon.
They were called to Hillsborough River near Acadian Drive, where four kids were reportedly jumping on ice along the river’s edge when a piece broke off.
By the time firefighters arrived on scene, two of the children had jumped off the ice and waded to shore. The other two, however, were still on the ice floe, drifting farther from land.
According to reports, a total of 25 firefighters were involved in the rescue. Charlottetown Police Services and local EMS also responded to the call.
Two of the firefighters used what’s referred to as a banana boat—an inflatable boat specifically designed for water rescue—to reach the children.
In a photo of the rescue, which was tweeted by the Charlottetown Fire Department, you can see the firefighters paddling out to two small figures standing on a sheet of ice, which was about 40 metres from shore by that time.
Station#1 dispatched to Acadian Dr for an ice rescue pic.twitter.com/H0Kptgu1iv
— CharlottetownFire (@ChtownFire) March 27, 2016
In a second photo, there are two extra bodies in the boat returning to shore.
Good job by station # 1 pic.twitter.com/rdpVFSHtzI — CharlottetownFire (@ChtownFire) March 27, 2016
Charlottetown Police Sgt. Walter Vessey told CTV News that the young boy and girl were “a little worried,” but otherwise okay. Thanks to their rescuers, they’re now back on land safe and sound.
