A toddler has died after falling through ice into a freezing pond in Henrico County, Virginia, authorities said.
Henrico County Police reported that officers were called at about 1:40 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, to the 12300 block of Shore View Drive after receiving a report that a child had been pulled from a pond.
When officers arrived, they found the child unconscious while personnel from the Henrico County Division of Fire performed CPR, police said. The child was transported to a nearby hospital in life-threatening condition.
Police also said an adult male was treated at the scene for possible hypothermia.
Local outlets reported that the adult went into the pond after the child. Police said the toddler fell through the ice into the water.
Later Monday evening, officials confirmed the child died at the hospital.
The incident happened on a day with below-freezing temperatures following a snow and ice storm, according to local reports.
“Henrico Police is in the early stages of its investigation. More information will be released when it is available,” authorities said in their initial statement.
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Police later said they will work with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause and manner of death. “Detectives within the Criminal Investigations Section are working to determine how this incident unfolded,” the department added.
After the incident, Goochland County Fire Captain Haley Ransom urged people not to assume frozen ponds are safe.
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“The ice almost never gets thick enough to support the weight of a person because of the up and down temperatures, like it was 50 degrees last week,” Ransom told WWBT. “The ice looks like it may be thick, and you could walk on it, maybe a foot or two. And then as the water gets deeper, the ice gets thinner and we have people get through the ice.”
Ransom added, “If somebody fell in the water, they could be hypothermic within seconds. Also, your body’s reaction is to like shut down your airway. So if you did go in the water, the first thing we would want you to do is hold your breath so that you don’t have that cold water come in.”
