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

By adamg on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 8:11pm

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.

Neighborhoods: 
Arlington


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Comments

By Ron Newman on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 8:29pm.

Spy Pond is in Arlington. Spot Pond is in Stoneham.

By adamg on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 10:43pm.

Thanks for, well, spotting that. Fixed.

By Ari O on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 8:00am.

Rescuers found the 68-year-old Arlington man holding onto a piece of broken [ice], he was conscious and alert but in serious danger.

Probably in original …

By Murkin on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 8:32pm.

This couple should be charged for their rescue.

By Don't Panic! on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 12:40am.

Having fun?

By merlinmurph on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:11am.

Another one in Westboro, too

By Bob Leponge on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 6:24pm.

This couple should be charged for their rescue.

Are you familiar with the concept of ordinary vs gross negligence?

Do you really want to live in the kind of world in which, let's say you were injured in a car accident, and it turned out you were driving 56 in a 55 zone, that you would be charged for the fire and EMS response, because, after all, you were negligent?

Or, if your house were to burn, that you would be charged for the fire department response if it turned out that you had any safety code violations (which I can pretty much guarantee that everyone has)?

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 7:36pm.

Remember: you are responding to and trying to reason with a commenter who thinks that people should be charged for their rescue if they don't understand the conditions in the pond that they are skating on, yet attacks other posters who do understand those conditions and can explain why they are hazardous.

SO you are wrong if you are ignorant, and reviled if you are not.

Trolls will be trolls.

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 11:18pm.

Skating outside is a great joy, but Spy pond is deep enough to land a water plane on and has currents that increase entropy.

There are many places around that are ankle deep, but still have lovely skating ice. Not only are they more likely to be frozen solid, but you just get cold wet ankles if you fall through. When we lived in Arlington we skated on the reservoir swimming zone - like 6 inches deep.

By Murkin on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 6:41am.

No one likes a know it all.

By adamg on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 9:08am.

No one likes a troll.

By Kapil on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 9:22am.

Adam, I would have perma-banned Murkin for this outburst. You are truly a benevolent ruler and we are fortunate to have you.

Murkin, we will await your apology to Swirlygrrl.

By Murkin on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 3:13pm.

If stating a simple fact makes me a troll then I must live under a bridge.

By lbb on Wed, 01/16/2019 - 9:47am.

If stating a simple fact makes me a troll then I must live under a bridge.

You do, sport. You do.

By Ari O on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 8:02am.

A reason I like the Lagoon in the Public Garden. No flow, so it will freeze even downtown And 3' deep so if you fall in, the worst you get is cold legs.

By lbb on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 8:22am.

I'd expect it to freeze a lot less reliably than fresh water.

By agua fresca on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 11:32am.

Is the water that comes out of your tap brackish? That's the same water that's in the lagoon at the BPG - Boston municipal tap water. It gets refilled from a faucet every spring after its annual draining in late winter (and then gets topped off regularly from the same faucet); the valve is at the SE corner.

By Bob Leponge on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 6:27pm.

Is the water that comes out of your tap brackish? That's the same water that's in the lagoon at the BPG - Boston municipal tap water. It gets refilled from a faucet every spring after its annual draining in late winter (and then gets topped off regularly from the same faucet); the valve is at the SE corner.

You're not accounting for the mineral content of duck piss. With all that loss of pure H20 through evaporative surface, I'd imagine it's pretty concentrated by the end of the season.

By anon on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 8:33pm.

Are you thinking of the lagoon on the Esplanade?

By lbb on Wed, 01/16/2019 - 9:51am.

Yes - obviously not reading closely. Of course that thing in the Public Garden isn't a lagoon no matter what they named it, but..

By Ron Newman on Wed, 01/16/2019 - 10:00am.

So, it has currents. I would never recommend skating or walking on it.

By anon on Wed, 01/16/2019 - 10:22am.

Sheesh. Nobody likes a knowitall

By anon on Wed, 01/16/2019 - 7:39am.

We just don't have deep freeze winters like we used to. When you get good pond ice, like I did at Redd's Pond in Marblehead last New Year's Day, it is glorious fun.

https://wednesdaysinmhd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/PIckup-Hockey-Gam...