ATV riders survive brush with thin ice, cold water

POINT MACKENZIE — Four all-terrain vehicle riders were unharmed Monday, thanks to some help from a Good Samaritan and Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services, authorities said.

Two riders phoned in to say their four-wheeled vehicles had gone through thin ice at Figure Eight Lake. Two riders had hiked to the end of the Little Su access road by about 11:30 a.m. — about six hours after the ice gave way — when the call came in, leaving two behind on the lake, according to borough emergency services director Dennis Brodigan.

Dispatchers sent firefighters and rescue personnel from the West Lakes and Central Mat-Su fire departments to the scene, and also dispatched an emergency helicopter to scout for the remaining two riders, which they thought might need help based in part on the incident’s six-hour duration, but Life Med couldn’t find them.

“A Bush plane had seen the other two, he was able to land and he flew them out to the end of Mack Road,” he said.

All four riders refused emergency treatment and transportation, Brodigan said.

“I’m sure they’re happy to be OK, except for losing their four-wheelers,” he said.

Riders should exercise caution on local ice, Brodigan said.

“This is not a normal winter,” he said. “The caution is that they should be sure of the ice depth. There is a lot of thin ice out there right now.”

While temperatures plunge after sunset, sub-zero days usually common this time of year have failed to materialize, Brodigan said. The only sure way to measure the ice’s depth is to drill a hole in it, Brodigan added.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.