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Two Suffolk County Police officers and a sergeant rescued an 8-year-old boy who fell through the ice on a pond in East Patchogue on Christmas Day, police said.
The boy was playing on the frozen pond at the Heatherwood Lakeside Village apartment complex about 1 p.m. Thursday when the ice gave way, sending him into chest-deep water.
But the child was unable to pull himself out, police said.
A nearby resident saw the boy struggling in the water and immediately called 911, police said.
Fifth Precinct Officers James Rizzo and Andrew Tirelli responded to the scene and entered the pond, attempting to throw a life ring to the child. Simultaneously, Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Santillo carefully crossed the ice to reach the boy and pull him from the water.
The child was taken to NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk in Patchogue for evaluation.
Health and safety officials routinely warn that ice on ponds, lakes and other bodies of water can be dangerously unpredictable, especially during periods of fluctuating winter temperatures.
Even when ice appears solid, it can be thin in spots and may not support the weight of a person. Officials urge parents and caregivers to closely supervise children and to keep them off frozen waterways unless the ice has been officially deemed safe.
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