Firefighters warn of ‘unpredictable’ ice after rescue from reservoir in Nevada County
Authorities on Thursday rescued one person who fell through the ice into the freezing water of a reservoir in Nevada County, fire officials said.
The incident was reported as a water rescue shortly before 3 p.m. at the Boca Reservoir, the Truckee Fire Protection District announced in a Facebook post. The reservoir is within the Tahoe National Forest and north of Interstate 80.
Bystanders witnessed two people fall through the ice into the water at the reservoir, according to the Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit.
One of them had pulled themselves out of the water after trying to rescue the other person by the time firefighters arrived. Cal Fire said firefighters arrived and spotted one person’s head was visible poking out of the “icy water.”
Firefighters from both agencies put on water rescue protective equipment and began the operation. Cal Fire said a Truckee firefighter tethered to a rescue rope headed out onto the ice, but the ice continued to break.
The firefighter had to swim in the water to reach the victim before securing the rope around the victim. Other firefighters secured the rescue rope onshore. Cal Fire said another firefighter entered the water to help them both to shore.
Emergency responders rescued the person from an area about 100 yards away from shore, Truckee fire officials said. The person rescued, who was alert and speaking, was taken to Tahoe Forest Hospital for treatment after suffering hypothermia and minor injuries.
The Nevada County Sheriff Office, Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service and a California Highway Patrol helicopter assisted with the rescue.
“Temperatures are warming during the day, and the ice is very unpredictable,” Truckee fire officials wrote in the Facebook post. “Our recommendation is to stay off the ice.”
Last weekend, a Truckee man drowned after several people fell through the ice while skating at Stampede Reservoir in Sierra County and north of Lake Tahoe, authorities said. Dive teams recovered his body the following morning.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 5:55 PM.
