On Friday, February 18 at 11 am, emergency workers responded to a report of an ATV operated by two minors going through the ice of Lake Memphremagog, near Horseneck Island.

Upon arrival to the scene, Newport Fire Department was able to successfully retrieve the two minors from the ice using the department’s tracked side-by-side.  They were brought back to shore and treated and evaluated for early signs of hypothermia.

The minors were transported to North Country Hospital in Newport and released later that day. Investigation revealed the two minors were operating their ATV west on the ice of Lake Memphremagog.  They encountered a pressure crack in the ice and broke through, fully submerging their ATV in approximately five to six feet of standing water on top of the ice.

The two minors were able to call for help while standing on top of the four-wheeler. The ATV was later removed from the ice.

Snowmobiler gets big air, severe injuries – Sunday afternoon, February 20 game wardens were called to assist with a snowmobile crash on Island Pond, in Brighton.

An investigation determined that Donald Gatz, 52, from Long Island, New York was operating a snowmobile at a high rate of speed on Island Pond when he struck a frozen embankment on the ice that was approximately 3 feet high. Investigation revealed that Gatz was not operating at an appropriate speed to reasonably avoid the embankment.

Gatz and the snowmobile were subsequently sent airborne before crashing onto the ice approximately 80 yards northwest of the embankment. He was thrown off the snowmobile while airborne.

Gatz was transported from the scene by Morgan Rescue to North Country Hospital in Newport for further treatment and evaluation before being transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He suffered severe but non-life-threatening injuries.

The snowmobile sustained heavy front end and rear end damage. The snowmobile was towed off the pond. No other people were injured in the incident.