Senior pulls himself out of freezing water after falling through frozen lake near Chase

CHASE – A 71-year-old Vancouver man is recovering after falling through a frozen lake over the holidays.

Chase RCMP spokesperon Cpl. Scott Linklater says in a news release that police and ambulance responded to Niskonlith Lake near Chase on Dec. 28 at approximately 3:40 p.m.

Police received reports that a man had fallen through the ice on the lake. The senior was alone, cross country skiing on the lake when he fell through the ice.

Linklater tells iNFOnews.ca that the man's family was a short distance away inside of a residence when they saw him fall through the ice.

"We were pretty worried there for a bit," Linklater says. "He’s pretty lucky."

After approximately 10 minutes, he was able to pull himself to the ice surface, where family and neighbours reached him and took him back to his home.

He was taken to hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

Linklater advises anyone who is going on frozen water to use caution, as ice conditions can change drastically.

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