Mar 07 2011
Three teens survive chilly crash through ice
JACKSON COUNTY, Ill. - What started out as a fun filled afternoon of 4-wheeling through the Shawnee National Forest, ended abruptly when the teens crashed into a frozen pond. The sun was setting on Super Bowl Sunday when Ron Kosydor’s 15 year old son smashed through the ice into waist deep water.
“The first thing I asked him was if he was all right? Then are you guys wet? How many of you are wet? Are any of the 4-wheelers able to run and get out of the water,” Kosydor said.
One of the other boys called his parents for help too. And they called 911.
Ambulances and Sheriff’s Deputies from Jackson County responded. They found the boys at the far end of a trail along the Big Muddy River, in an area known as Horse Shoe Pond.
“It’s not really a pond. But when the river backs up, it fills in a low lying area. And there is lots of weeds out there. And it was snow covered. That was part of the problem, they couldn’t really tell it was ice,” Kosydor said.
The boys, ages 15, 16, and 17 were all shaking from the cold and their soaking wet cloths they were wearing, by the time family members arrived on the scene.
“They were real glad to see the warm trucks. And I told them leave the 4-wheeler, get out of the water. We can come back for it,” Kosydor said.
His son’s 4-wheeler is going to need a major overhaul before being able to run again. But Ron is just happy his son is safe, and so are his friends.
“If they would have went off into some deep water, it could have been a fatal situation,” Kosydor said.
None of the boys required hospital treatment for exposure. It’s a chilling reminder to us all, that no matter how thick the ice may look. It still may not be safe to play on, or ride on.
