A man is dead after falling through an icy pond on Christmas Eve in Prince William County, authorities say.
Rescue personnel responded to a water rescue in the 6000 block of Erinblair Loop in the Piedmont neighborhood of Haymarket, Virginia, at about 10 p.m. on Saturday, according to a Prince William County police spokesperson.
Officers found a man had fallen through an iced-over pond located at the Piedmont Club Golf Course.
Firefighters pulled the man from the pond. He was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
The 19-year-old man’s identity was not immediately released.
Additional adults had non-life-threatening exposure injuries from the incident. Police said they were likely people who tried to help the man.
A video of the scene shared with News4 by Twitter user @KenKocher showed there was a heavy first responder presence in the wooded golf course and surrounding neighborhood. People from nearby houses were also standing on their lawns looking to see what was going on.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
"It's one of the smaller ponds behind some houses on the golf course," Kocher said. "We've heard stories of kids on the ponds. It's posted, 'No swimming. No ice skating. Stay off the water.' But kids will be kids."
Public safety experts say it’s almost impossible to tell whether an iced-over pond is safe to walk on, and it should be avoided.
"It's just tragic, especially on Christmas Eve. We've lived in this neighborhood 21 years," Kocher said.
Following the incident, Prince William County police issued a warning to stay off the ice in the area.
They also shared the following ice water safety tips for when someone falls through ice:
- Call 911 immediately.
- Try to keep the victim calm and tell them help is on the way.
- Do not go onto the ice to rescue them.
- Safely reach out to the victim by providing them something that will help them stay afloat or that can be used to pull them in, like a branch, a rope or a hockey stick.
“Ice recreation is best sought on skating rinks, pavilions, or other locations specifically designed for that purpose, and not the dangerous, naturally occurring ice that forms on area waters,” Prince William County Fire and Rescue Acting Fire Chief James Forgo said in a release.
Police are investigating why the man went onto the ice.
This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.
