2 Teens Rescued From Ice On Magothy River

PASADENA, Md. (WJZ) -- As temperatures go down, the danger on frozen waterways goes up.

Rochelle Ritchie has more on how to stay safe on the ice.

The two people rescued are lucky to be alive. Ice has claimed the lives of others in Maryland and rescuers want people to know that no matter how thick the water may look, it's not.

Two teenagers looking for fun found themselves in trouble on the Magothy River.

"Neighbors saw them [and] called the fire department," said Lt. Richard Clearly, Anne Arundel County Fire.

The boys--16 and 17--stepped out onto the ice for a good time but when the tide rolled in, they rolled out.

"We have tidal waters everywhere. With the tides moving up and down, it breaks the ice," Clearly said.

Two Anne Arundel County rescuers dressed in water-resistant suits dragged an inflatable raft over the ice to get the boys.

"How dumb can you be?" said Dave Rayford, Pasadena. "If they had used their head, they could have walked right off."

Though the water isn't that deep, it's still dangerous.

"Sixty to 90 minutes is about as long as they could survive in that water temperature," Clearly said.

Just last month, a 10-year-old boy died after he and friends took turns sliding across a pond in Montgomery County.

The temperatures are still frigid, but not cold enough to turn bodies of water into durable ice rinks. The message is clear: stay off.

The boys were taken to the hospital as a precaution. They never fell into the water.

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