Boy dies after fall through ice in lake and story grabs headlines. Over the weekend, an 8-year-old boy, who was identified as Kymello McLane, died after falling through the thin ice formed on City Park Lake in North Carolina.
A young boy dies after falling through ice in a lake in North Carolina, the tragedy has become a national story. On Sunday afternoon, several 911 calls were made to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and Salisbury police, after several people witnessed a child drowning in City Park Lake.
One woman, who did not wish to be identified, told officers from the Salisbury police department that she saw a young male slip as he was playing around City Park Lake. Salisbury police officers and the fire department were able to rescue the child named Kymello McLane.
The lady spoke to local media and explained that it took rescue workers about 10 minutes and numerous dives to find the boy under the freezing water. She added:
“Fire crews pulled the boy from the water and EMS crews immediately began attempts to revive him.”
The child, 8, was rushed to Emergency Medical Services, where doctors attempted to resuscitate him. Later in the day, the boy, who was suffering from hypothermia, transferred to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Mocksville Avenue, Salisbury for further medical treatment; and this is where he died.
While police would not say whether or not if the boy was supervised at the time of the accident, the woman, who called for help, made it clear that the parents were not playing their role of guardian and protector. The woman revealed:
“I just don’t understand, 8 years old. I mean, I know kids are going to play and they’re going to do stuff but honestly 8 is awful young to be playing by themselves.”
According to News OXY, Kymello McLane was playing with two friends when this occurred. The pals are both 11 years old.
Dan Yesenosky, who is a reporter for NBC Charlotte, shared numerous tweets about the “boy dies ice in lake” story. According to Yesenosky, there is a possibility that the child thought the ice was thick, and stepped on it only to discover that it was very thin and could not hold his weight. The reporter tweeted:
“Fire Dept. says people often misjudge the thickness of ice on lakes, says the thickness varies in different parts of water.
Fire dept. says boy fell through. They say this small side area can be 8-10 feet deep
Salisbury Police confirm to us that boy who fell through the ice on lake at Hurley Park passed away around 4:00.”
Examiner reports that authorities have taken action to prevent children from getting close to this dangerous area.
On January 9th, a 13-year-old boy also died after falling in the icy South Meadows Parkway lake in Nevada. Witness Michael Reams claimed that three children were playing on the thick ice when one fell. Reams told a reporter:
“It’s crazy because I yell at these kids every day this time of year, ‘get off the ice, it’s dangerous,’ and they go, ‘yeah, we know. And, they still do it. The sad part is, they’re on the ice and throwing rocks down, trying to break the ice. I mean, that’s double-crazy.”
Officer Tim Broadway pleaded with parents to talk to their children about the danger of playing around icy lakes. He said:
“We get this every year and we’re just asking parents to be responsible and let your kids know the safety precautions when it comes to going on the ice. Especially since it has been warmer.”
The “boy dies ice in lake” term has gone viral and many are wondering if this tragedy could have not been prevented.
Here's a picture of where Fire dept. says boy fell through. They say this small side area can be 8-10 feet deep pic.twitter.com/xS2iaZpmnn
— Dan Yesenosky (@WCNCDanY) January 11, 2015
Prayers to the family for this tragic event. It was just a week ago another youngster wandered away from the house and drowned in a pond. The only two ways this could have been prevented is by the parents educating the boy and supervising his outdoor play. Even with the best efforts, sometimes things like this happen. Unfortunately, you can’t put a fence around every body of water on the planet.
How awfully sad…..may he rest in peace…
Prayers for the family at this difficult time. I just scolded my own sons (young adults) last week about going onto the ice in the river. Its so dangerous, you never know how thick it can be. It depends on water conditions, consistent cold weather, whether its still water or moving under the ice, etc. And, really, give the parents a break. They have enough to deal with at this time. We were playing alone at 8 years old. I’m sure this is nothing more than a terrible accident with horrible results.