All Rescued After 4 Teens Fall Into Icy Pond

LANSDOWNE, Md. (WJZ) -- Icy rescue. Four teens are hospitalized after falling into a frozen pond in Baltimore County.

Marcus Washington reports the incident could have been worse if not for two people passing by.

A chaotic scene for rescue crews in Baltimore County Sunday afternoon.

Around 1:30 p.m., a call went out, alerting that four people--all under the age of 18--had fallen into an icy pond at Hillcrest Park in Lansdowne.

"It looks thick. It looks like it's safe enough to walk on there, but you can never take a chance like that. It can give out at any minute," said Brittany Hamilton.

Once at the scene, two adults had pulled three of the four victims out of the water. But there was still one child submerged in the ice cold pond.

"Our crews had to search for the final victim in order to remove them so they could be transported," said Capt. Bruce Schultz, Baltimore County Fire Department.

The exact ages or how long the kids were in the water is unknown, but many people who live in the area say people walking on the iced-over pond is not uncommon.

"It's been frozen for the last couple of weeks, so we've seen a few people walking out there on the ice last week, and he wanted to do it. And I said, 'No, it's too dangerous,'" said Hamilton.

"These ponds, they freeze and they thaw and they freeze and they thaw. And there's really no rhyme or reason to gauge the thickness of the ice and whether it can support anyone's weight," said Capt. Schultz.

Captain Schultz the situation could have turned out worse if the two adults had not been nearby. He says it's the perfect time to let everyone know:

"As a public safety announcement, stay off the ice," he said.

Two of the children are listed in serious condition. The other two are in critical condition at this time.