Woman who fell through ice north of Kingston, Ont. expected to recover

Ontario Provincial Police logo and cruiser.

Ontario Provincial Police officers helped rescue a 59-year-old woman who fell through the ice on Eagle Lake, about 65 kilometres north of Kingston, Ont.

The woman was walking three dogs on the lake when, at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the ice gave way, and she fell into the frigid water. She was able to make a 9-1-1 call while clinging to a dock, but her heavy, waterlogged winter clothes made it difficult for her to get out of the water.

Police said the only location provided to officers was the 9-1-1 call drop area. Officers with the Frontenac detachment followed footprints on the lake and found spots of open water before tracking the woman to a nearby building. She had managed to crawl out of the water and seek shelter but was in need of medical attention.

With no road to the area where she was found, the officers loaded her into a kayak, wrapped her in their coats and dragged her to the other side of the lake where an ambulance was waiting.

“Ice conditions can be unpredictable, and people need to take all necessary precautions while traveling on frozen waterways,” the OPP said in a news release Thursday. “No ice is safe ice.”

The woman was assessed by paramedics and is expected to recover, police said.