Officials: 2 Cary residents rescued from Lake Killarney after falling through ice

First responders from the Cary Fire Protection District rescued two people who had fallen through ice while attempting to go ice fishing on Lake Killarney Tuesday evening.

Crews were dispatched just after 4:30 p.m. to the 6200 block of Londonderry Drive in an unincorporated near Cary for reports of people calling out for help in Lake Killarney, according to a news release from the Cary Fire Protection District.

Two off-duty firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after the initial dispatch to find two individuals struggling to keep their heads above water roughly 50 to 75 feet from the shore, the release stated.

One off-duty firefighter entered the water through the ice to rescue one of the individuals, a teenager. Fire crews arrived moments later and began coordinated rescue operations to remove the other individual, an adult, from the water. Both were rescued within approximately eight minutes of fire department arrival.

A third person, who lived nearby, had attempted to assist the pair prior to the arrival of emergency crews but also fell through the ice. However, that person was able to get out of the water safely before crews arrived at the lake.

All three people involved were evaluated on scene and taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

The Cary Fire Protection District reminds residents to be careful when traversing frozen bodies of water, as ice conditions can change rapidly and are often unsafe, even when they appear solid.