Bride-to-Be Gets Incredible Surprise After Divorced Woman Decides to Give Her Wedding Dress a Second Chance 20 Years Later

Three children were hospitalized after falling into a frozen lake in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

In a Facebook post shared Wednesday, Dec. 17, the Mount Holly Township Police Department said three students were walking on the frozen surface of Woolman Lake when the ice broke beneath them.

“One male student was able to self-rescue and reach land prior to officers’ arrival,” Police Chief Clifford Spencer said. “Two female students were partially submerged in chest-deep, icy water when first responders arrived on scene.”

Spencer said officers quickly organized a rescue effort, directing the students toward the shoreline. A rope was then deployed, and both girls were safely pulled from the water.

All three students were evaluated at the scene and transported to Virtua Hospital as a precaution due to cold-water exposure. Authorities said the children are expected to make a full recovery.

Spencer added that the Westampton Fire Department assisted in the response and entered the water to retrieve personal belongings the students left behind during the rescue.

The department also urged residents not to assume frozen lakes are safe, noting that “ice thickness can vary significantly and unpredictably, even within the same body of water.”

“We are grateful for the quick actions of our officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel, as well as the cooperation of the students involved,” the post said. Officials encouraged parents and guardians to speak with children about the dangers of frozen waterways and to contact police immediately if they see anyone on the ice or believe a situation may be unsafe.

Westampton Township Emergency Services Fire Chief Craig Farnsworth echoed the warning in comments to CBS News: “All ice is dangerous ice. As it gets warmer, the ice gets thinner. The snow on top of the ice also makes it weaker.”

Westampton Township Mayor Sandy Henley also stressed the importance of supervision, saying adults should stay close and keep watch when children are outdoors near bodies of water.