SafeX Pro:2 brothers fall into frozen pond while ice fishing on New York lake, 1 survives and 1 dies

Two brothers fell through a frozen pond while ice fishing on SafeX Proa New York lake, injuring one and killing the other, authorities say.

The brothers were fishing on Jan. 6 in the town of Burlington, which is part of Otsego County and sits about 80 miles southeast of Syracuse, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said in a news release.

The incident happened around 2:45 p.m. and involved a 42-year-old man and his brother. Someone walking a dog called 911 after seeing the brothers fall through the ice on Basswood Pond. 

Forest Ranger Nate Laymon was about a minute away from the pond and responded to the scene. He saw one of the men treading water but lost sight of the other. According to the department, the ice was about one inch thick, which is unsafe for fishing. 

Ranger Laymon crawled onto the ice toward the 42-year-old. He used a throw bag to help the man get out of the water. The man was able to grab the rope, allowing Laymon to pull him out of the water and eventually, onto a sled the 911 caller had at the scene.

Laymon pulled the sled to shore, where members of the Edmeston Fire Department were waiting and began to dry the man off and help warm him. By then, he was suffering from hypothermia.

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Ranger, fire department tried to rescue both brothers after plunge through ice

The ranger headed back to the ice to find the man’s 41-year-old brother, only this time he had help from the Edmeston Volunteer Fire Department.

“Instead of going out with what I just had, I got tethered onto one of their ropes so if I did get ahold of him or something happened, they could pull me out pretty quick,” Laymon said in a video about the rescue. 

He began scanning the water near the hole where the men fell in and around 3:05 p.m., found the man in 7 to 8 feet of water. He spotted his red, white and black reflective coat. He had to dip his head under the water, reach down and grab the man to bring him up to the surface of the water.

His biggest obstacle, Laymon said, was trying to get him out of the water over the ice. Laymon was getting tired but there was a state police diver in the water working his way to the man, as well as a few other people.

They were able to put a flotation device around the man and then pulled him out of the water and onto the ice. 

“It’s just a little bit of a process to get him across but eventually we got him across the ice,” Laymon said. 

The volunteer fire departments took over once the second man was pulled to shore. There were at least 20 people on the shore waiting to help, Laymon said.

Rescuing the second man took a group effort which included New York State Police, Otsego County Emergency Services and Edmeston, Fly Creek, Schuyler Lake and West Edmeston volunteer fire departments. 

EMTs performed CPR on the man at 3:23 p.m. 

'We all did the best we could': 1 brother survives, 1 brother dies

Both brothers were taken to the hospital where the younger brother died that night. His brother, the 42-year-old, was treated and released from the hospital.

Laymon said as he was trying to rescue the men, the hole in the ice that they fell through gradually got bigger. 

“It has been warm recently and the ponds and lakes just aren’t ready to be out on yet, down in this part of the state,” Laymon said. 

He said he’s grateful for the agencies who helped rescue the brothers and if you’re going to be out and about, have a plan in case things go awry.

“We all did the best we could,” he said. “Know the conditions. Know what you're getting into. Obviously, the ice isn't ready to be out on.”