HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β Firefighters conducted ice rescue training at Echo Lake Park on Thursday as the prolonged cold snap has frozen waterways across the region, creating potentially dangerous conditions.
Members of the Henrico Fire Department's swift water and technical rescue teams spent the day practicing frozen lake breakthrough rescues at the park.
Assistant Chief of Special Operations Mark Cumashot said it's important to be aware of the dangers of ice on bodies of water. It's a lesson he learned the hard way as a child.
"I fell through the ice as a child. I know what it's like firsthand. I am lucky to be here today," Cumashot said.
The experience left a lasting impression on the fire official.
"I can remember that I went at least up to my neck, and my friend who was with me was able to get me out," Cumashot said. "That's one thing that's always stuck with me is I was lucky to get through that. And I think it also brings validation to β I was on ice that I thought could hold me. I had very little true understanding of it though, and I could have been a statistic."
Cumashot said falling into freezing water can turn deadly in seconds.
If anyone falls through ice, instead of pulling themselves out like they would in a pool, they should get flat in the water and roll out onto the ice that can support their weight, he said.
An Extreme Cold Weather Watch is in effect Saturday night into Sunday morning. Breezy and cold conditions will produce wind chills between 0 and -10 degrees.
Highs will be in the 30s to lower 40s next week, but overnight lows will still be cold, in the teens to lower 20s.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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