Female victim rescued from Eastside Lake after falling through the ice late Thursday evening

A female victim is being treated at Mayo Clinic Health Systems after falling through the ice on Eastside Lake late Thursday evening.

Officers from the Austin Police Department responded to the area of the Eastside Lake Park at 11:27 p.m. Thursday evening after a reporting party had called and advised that she had heard screaming coming from the park area.  Chief of Police Dave McKichan reported that due to dark and foggy conditions, visibility was limited.  He stated that the victim was briefly located bobbing in the water by responding officers before the Austin Fire Department and Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service responded. Shortly after, McKichan stated that the victim was unresponsive and was floating in the water.

Once the Austin Fire Department arrived on the scene, Chief McKichan stated that the conditions called for a firefighter to dress in a rescue suit, rope up, and then traverse approximately 1/3 of the way out across the lake on the ice with a rescue sled in order to then get into the water and swim a significant distance to the rescue location.  McKichan went on to report that the firefighter was able to be directed to the area the female was believed to be at, which was on the very far side of the open patch of water.  The rescuing firefighter did locate the victim, and, at the time of the rescue, McKichan stated that the victim had begun to submerge and was just visible enough to be located.   

The victim and firefighter were pulled to shore.  Chief McKichan reported that the victim was found not breathing and had no pulse. No foul play is suspected.

The victim, whose condition was not released, was left in the care of Mayo Health System.  McKichan went on to state that the Austin Police and Fire Departments advise all residents to avoid venturing out onto the ice in and around Austin at this point, especially in the darkness.