2 boys who rode onto Utah Lake rescued

PROVO — After spending hours stranded on Utah Lake amid breaking ice, two teenagers were brought safely to shore Saturday night by search and rescue officers.

Shortly after 5 p.m., the 16-year-old boys used a cell phone to call 911 and request assistance. Crews responded and brought the teens to shore by boat at approximately 7 p.m.

The pair had ridden their bikes out on the lake's frozen surface, which they soon discovered was less solid than it appeared, authorities said.

The boys fell through the ice in a couple of locations, landing in freezing-cold water that came up to their knees, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Tom Hodgson.

Eventually, the two became disoriented and realized they could travel no further on the treacherous ice. They sought out higher ground in an area called Powell Slough, a marshy area of the lake in Orem. The pair were about 500 to 600 yards offshore, Hodgson said.

The two teenagers were unfamiliar with their surroundings and had no way to guide rescuers to their location other than communicating with officers via cell phone.

Fortunately, a Channel 5 Eyewitness News helicopter was in the area and volunteered to help locate the teens.

Once the chopper found them, searchers were able to pinpoint their location and send out a boat to rescue them, Hodgson said.

The two were taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, he said, but did not appear to have any serious injuries.

"They were in good spirits when we got them to shore, but very cold and wet and slightly hypothermic," Hodgson said.

He added that ice rescues are fairly common and advised people to take precautions around the water at this time of year.

"We'd caution people to be aware of the conditions on the lake," Hodgson said. "It's starting to freeze, but it isn't totally frozen yet, which makes it dangerous."

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