Spokane Valley firefighters are hoping to warn people of the dangers of frozen lakes and ponds following the recent drowning of an 8-year-old boy near Omak.
Chanse Tepley, who is originally from the Moses Lake area, was playing with a friend who lived in Conconully when he and his 5-year-old brother wandered off to a nearby drainage area from upper Conconully Lake.
Okanogan County Sheriff Tom Hawley said Tepley was in the water for at least 30 minutes, according to deputies who responded to the scene. Despite efforts from his brother and first responders to save him, he passed away.
Spokane Valley firefighters spent Wednesday morning and afternoon conducting ice water rescue training at Newman Lake about 21 miles east of Spokane.
Firefighters said the annual training is the best way to make sure they can be as efficient as possible when responding to ice rescue emergencies.
Efficiency is key but they also learn to move quickly since every moment could be the difference between saving a life or a family suffering a loss.
When the water is cold, hypothermia doesn't take long to set in.
“That can be a matter of minutes and also that water is so cold and shocking that you can take a deep breath and panic and possibly aspirate and make a bad situation worse,” said Tony Perry with the Spokane Valley Fire Department. “Please don't make yourself a victim. Make sure you call 911 and stay out.”
Perry said it makes it even more challenging for rescue crews when someone else tries to be a hero before they arrive. Sometimes that means a second person also becomes a victim.
He said that two inches of thickness usually means the ice is okay to walk on, but that can be hard to tell since two inches in one spot does not necessarily mean the ice is two inches thick in another spot.
If you do see someone fall through the ice, firefighters said the best thing to do is wait for first responders to arrive or even throw a rope out to pull someone to safety. Never try to go out on the ice yourself.
