WARWICK — The Warwick Fire Department and the Rose Ledge towing company removed a pickup truck that fell through thin ice at Sheomet Lake on Sunday. The driver walked away uninjured.
Fire Chief Joe Larson said his department was dispatched to the lake, also known as Clubhouse Pond, at roughly noon and found that the Toyota Tacoma’s driver was safely out of the vehicle and the water. Speaking by phone on Monday, Larson said he did not know how the truck wound up on the icy pond.
The chief said Lt. Shane Barberian and firefighter Nadia Marti hooked tow cables to the truck and the towing company removed it from the scene. Northfield Dive and Rescue Team members were called to assist and helped ensure the safety of Barberian and Marti by holding the ropes they were tied to. Larson said it took about two hours to remove the truck.
Floyd “Skip” Dunnell III, Northfield’s fire chief and assistant team leader of the dive and rescue team, said the truck removal was pretty straightforward.
“Everything went like clockwork,” Dunnell said on Monday, adding that nine team members responded.
Larson noted there was poor reception in the area, so the Erving Fire Department responded with a repeater, which Larson said helps boost a portable radio’s signal.
“This is the second time in almost a year we’ve used our (cold water) suits to do something related to cold water emergencies, but our training is definitely paying off,” Larson said, referring to a horse rescue in a beaver pond about a year ago. “Everybody did a great job. There were no issues and nobody got injured.”
For information about ice safety from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, visit bit.ly/3jMHw8U.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.