Troy Woman Chases Dog Onto Ice, Falls Through at Sylvan Glen Lake Park

A Troy woman is being treated for possible hypothermia at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak Tuesday afternoon after falling through the ice at Sylvan Glen Lake Park in Troy, according to Troy Police.

The woman was walking her dog, a larger black breed, at the park when the dog walked out onto the frozen 16-acre lake.

"The dog walked onto the ice and eventually fell through," Officer Andy Breidenich, public information officer for the , said Tuesday. "The woman went after it and fell through also.”

Breidenich said the woman had walked out onto the ice, which is roughly two inches thick, roughly 40-50 feet before falling through. She was in the water for approximately 10 minutes.

"I don't know the depth there, but she kept her head above water," Breidenich said. "I think she was in the water for about 10 minutes.”

Members of the Troy Fire and Police departments pulled the woman, who Breidenich said was in her 40s or 50s, to safety and transported her to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. The dog was unharmed and was temporarily taken in by a resident who lives near the park.

“It appeared when they pulled her out she had some hypothermia,” Breidenich said. “She was more moaning than talking, but she was alert."

Breidenich said it appears the woman struggled to climb out but was unable to do so.

"The ice breaks when you start trying to get out," Breidenich said. "The ice was maybe a couple inches thick – not enough to stand on.”

Ice safety tips

"The best way to ensure your safety is to always assume that no ice is safe," reads an article on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website.

The DNR offers the following tips and safety guidelines for walking or fishing on the ice:

• Before venturing out onto the ice, check with local sources for the most up-to-date information on ice conditions.
• Always fish with a buddy whenever possible and always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Do not go out on any ice unless you test the thickness and quality with a spud first.
• Avoid areas where there are inlets or outlets due to moving water under the ice.
• Avoid areas where there are natural springs.
• Avoid the ice around structures, docks and pilings.
• Pay attention to wind direction especially when fishing on large bodies of waters. If the wind direction is just right, it can blow the ice out and away from shore leaving anglers stranded.
• Wear a personal floatation device. Also, carry a couple of large nails and a length of nylon rope. If you should go through the ice, the nails could help provide a grip on the slippery surface and aid in getting you out.
• If you do break through the ice, try not to panic. Remember to turn toward the direction you came from – toward the ice that supported you. Use the nails or your hands to gain a hold on the unbroken surface as an aid in getting out.
• Once you are out of the water and are lying on the ice, don't stand. Roll away from the point where you broke through until you are on solid ice.
• If you see someone fall through the ice, do not run toward the person. Carefully extend a rope, ladder, pole or line to the victim.
• Always get the victim to a hospital emergency room as soon as possible for treatment.