Man rescued from icy Kingston waters after breaking through ice

A man who fell through the ice in downtown Kingston on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 is lucky to have escaped the water and now receiving medical care at Kingston General Hospital (KGH).

The incident occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m., when a 29-year-old man broke through the ice on the St. Lawrence River, just north of the LaSalle Causeway. Kingston Fire and Rescue and Frontenac Paramedics were called to respond to the incident. Luckily, the man was able to self-extricate and was quickly attended to by Kingston Fire and Rescue before Frontenac Paramedics arrived on the scene. The man was taken inside a fire engine to warm up after spending approximately three minutes in the freezing waters. Emergency responders relayed that the man was alive and safe.

The man was then transferred to the care of Frontenac Paramedics, treated for hypothermia, and transported to Kingston General Hospital.

A reminder to always exercise caution on and around ice, and that even seemingly-frozen ice surfaces aren’t always safe. Less than two hours after this incident occurred, photographer Lucas Mulder captured below photos of people skating in the exact same area the man broke through the ice. Avoid venturing onto lakes and rivers.