Arlington man shows why people shouldn't be skating on local ponds

Arlington Police report a local man fell through the ice on Spy Pond this afternoon as he and his wife skated about 100 yards offshore. He was rescued and taken to a local hospital for treatment of hypothermia.

Rescuers found the 68-year-old Arlington man holding onto a piece of broken, he was conscious and alert but in serious danger. The man's wife was also out on the ice, trying to assist him. The two had been skating together.

Arlington Police Officer Michael Foley was the first on scene, and he provide a length of rope for the man to hold on to. Shortly afterward, firefighters arrived wearing water rescue suits. A firefighter jumped in the water to assist, and the Arlington Fire Department Water Rescue Sled was deployed across the ice out to the skater. Firefighters used the sled to bring the man back to the shore.

The skater and his wife were both treated for hypothermia by firefighters, and they were both transported to Mount Auburn Hospital. Both are expected to recover fully.

Though temperatures have been on the colder side recently, Arlington officials warn that, at this time, it has not been cold enough for long enough to make it safe to walk, skate or fish on the ice in any waterway in Arlington.