Tafton Dive/Rescue Team shares how to survive falling through ice

"There is no safe ice," advises Charles Simone, captain of Tafton Dive/Rescue Team.

Lake Wallenpaupack, like many lakes when covered in ice, is highly attractive for ice fishing and overall sport, with skaters, snowmobiles and ATVs heading out on the great white expanse. Although ice, if thick enough, can hold a person or even a car, safety is not to be taken for granted.

Minutes matter in an emergency when someone falls through the ice or plunges in frigid waters. The so-called "golden hour" is the time when someone needs to be rescued to avoid drowning.

Simone said that the golden hour really comes into play when someone slips under the ice.

"You don't have an hour sitting in that water, maybe a half an hour," Deputy Chief Matt Forsythe said, adding several factors contribute to how long one has before full hypothermia sets in. Water temperature and current have a lot to do with it.

Tafton and Ledgedale dive teams, based on Lake Wallenpaupack, receive calls involving either an emergency response or a recovery operation. Tafton keeps a schedule of three people who are ready to immediately respond to ice rescues.

The first on scene at an ice rescue springs into action, donning dive and rescue gear. The second officer to arrive takes command. Shore support is assembled, to bring in an ice sled or whatever is required.

Intensely trained and certified, the volunteer divers follow highly practiced procedures with a primary diver and backup divers, linked by safety rope and using underwater radio communication.

They respond not only to Lake Wallenpaupack where they are based, but to any water body in the region where they are dispatched. They work in tandem with other dive rescue agencies. Tafton Dive/Rescue, which is on the north end on the Pike County side, partners with Ledgedale Dive/Rescue on the southern end of Wallenpaupack on the Wayne County side.

The night of Jan. 28, both companies responded to the Lackawaxen River at Seelyville, where a man had disappeared underwater. The victim's body was recovered the next day.

More: Dive teams recover body from Lackawaxen River in Seelyville

Thankfully, other incidents have a happy conclusion. On Jan. 22, Tafton Dive assisted Central and Forest fire companies with a rescue of two people who had fallen through the ice at Westcolang Lake, Masthope. A lakefront homeowner had sat down to eat dinner and saw them go through the ice. They then called 911. Tafton was on scene in 10 minutes. Forsythe pulled the second victim out of the water.

Recently, they also responded to Pickerel Lake in Pike County, where a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) had broken the ice and submerged. Forsythe said that the driver, a 75-year-old man, was able to roll down the window and escape. Working with Ledgedale, they expected to retrieve the UTV in February.

Protecting oneself

Forsythe shared some tips on surviving a fall through the ice.

• If one is in a sinking vehicle and the window is not already down, use a "window punch" to break a window and climb out. "Try and stay calm," Simone said. Otherwise, once the pressure equalizes with water coming in, try to open the door or a window.

• Wear an inflatable personal flotation device which inflates as soon as it gets wet, which can also be inflated by an emergency handle.

• Wear an ice pick and a whistle and use ice cleats.

• An ice pick can help to pull oneself out of a hole in thin ice. Once back on the ice, roll and spread out as much as possible to disperse one's weight, to get to safety.

• Try not to be on the ice alone. Notify someone when you go out on the ice, and when you return.

Forsythe warned that conditions change rapidly on a lake; it may be thick enough where you are, but 50 feet away it could be 1 or 2 inches. According to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, 4 inches of ice can support 200 pounds, counting both the person's weight and gear. Five inches can support 800 pounds, or one snowmobile. Seven inches can support 1,500 pounds, a group of people. Eight inches can hold up to 2,000 pounds, or one car.

Avoid ice that has formed over moving water, such as a river. Simone noted that is why typically a snowmobile or other vehicle will break through on Lake Wallenpaupack, right above the old riverbed that predates the lake. This spring, Tafton Dive plans to recover an ATV and a quad that fell in. Sonar is used to locate the machine and a lift bag is used to bring it up.

"There's no real way of knowing [the thickness] before you go out on it," Forsythe said, although you can shout out if you see people ice fishing to ask about conditions. An auger or pick can be used to periodically make a test hole.

Fire engine boat

They use a 27-year-old boat stationed at Wallenpaupack and an inflatable boat. Simone said they fill two pickup trucks to carry their gear to a scene. Eventually they want to acquire a walk-in portable shelter to get dressed into their scuba gear on scene.

A new boat is being ordered this winter, which Simone said will be essentially "a floating fire hydrant." It will serve as a fire engine boat, pumping water from the lake to douse a structure fire anywhere along the 52-mile shoreline, and fight boat fires. It will also serve the dive team as well as act as an ambulance.

Brookfield Renewable, the power company that owns the lake, donated $20,000 towards the boat, and discussed putting in a dock directly behind the Tafton fire station. The boat costs close to half a million dollars.

This boat has an advantage for firefighting capability over relying on tanker trucks, which must shuttle back and forth from a fill site, he said. He said it may help reduce fire insurance costs for lakefront homeowners.

Lighthouse Harbor Marina donated another pontoon boat for the southern end of the lake. 1st Klas Marina allows use of their dock to anchor Tafton's older boat. A slip may be added to Pirate's Cove on the north side.

Paupack Plunge

One of their largest donations is from Paupack Polar Plunge, hosted by 1st Klas Marina. Held on New Year's Day this year, the event raised a record $30,000, split evenly between Ledgedale and Tafton dive teams. Over 300 people participated, taking a quick dip in the frigid water assisted by dive team members. Starting in 2011, it was hosted by Lighthouse Harbor Marina through 2022.

Both Tafton and Ledgedale dive teams help hone their skills by diving for items lost from a boat or dock such as jewelry, eyeglasses, cell phones and wallets. Simone said that people frequently show their gratitude with a donation.

Tafton Dive/Rescue is part of the Tafton Fire Company, which also includes an ambulance service, Tafton EMS. The dive team presently has about 12 divers, all volunteers.

Paying to outfit a diver is very costly, Simone noted; a dry suit with full gear costs approximately $20,000.

Tafton Dive is looking for experienced divers, he said. They do weekly training and occasional joint training with other dive teams.

For more information on either Tafton or Ledgedale dive teams, visit their Facebook pages or contact their respective host fire departments.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Tafton Dive/Rescue Team shares how to survive falling through ice