Snowmobiler ticketed after falling through ice near Grayslake

A snowmobiler who fell through the ice on Lake County Forest Preserve District property near Grayslake was rescued early Sunday morning.

The snowmobiler was identified as Thomas Servensin, a resident of the Gurnee area who officials said is in his mid to late 20s.

In the early morning hours, he was snowmobiling through the ice in a wetland area at the Fourth Lake Fen, which is part of the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve.

"He went into the marshy area. He dialed 911. Lake County (Sheriff's Office) radio was able to triangulate his cell phone," said John Tannahill, chief of the Lake County Forest Preserve District ranger police.

The initial call came in at about 2:50 a.m. to the Gurnee Fire Department for a snowmobile in the water, said Grayslake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Jim Weidman.

Grayslake firefighters responded with divers from Gurnee, Libertyville and Round Lake as well as an air boat from Fox Lake. They searched the area in the pre-dawn darkness but couldn't Servensin, Weidman said.

Servensin, who was snowmobiling alone, apparently tried to wade to shore but determined the water was too deep and decided to sit atop the snowmobile, Weidman said. Tannahill said some of the wetland areas can be 10 feet deep.

Police were able to "ping" Servensin's cell phone, which means they used signals from area cell phone towers to track his whereabouts. They determined he was somewhere north of Rollins Road and west of Route 45, Weidman added. The fen is near Grand Avenue. It took about an hour to find him, Weidman said.

"If he had gone any deeper and the cell phone couldn't be triangulated, he would have been in trouble," Tannahill said.

Tannahill said there are marked snowmobile trails in Rollins Savanna but not in the fen.

"We have safe trails for snowmobiling and he wasn't near them," he said.

Servensin did not appear to suffer any serious injuries, according to authorities. He was taken to Lake Forest Acute Center in Grayslake where he was treated and released.

"Everybody wears snowmobile gear. It's almost arctic quality," said Tannahill. "It protected him some."

Alcohol did not appear to be a factor, according to ranger police. Servensin was issued tickets for snowmobiling on a lake after hours, being off a marked trail and being in a forest preserve after hours. Snowmobiling is allowed until midnight, Tannahill said.

Tannahill warned snowmobilers that many lakes are spring fed and are not as stable as they might appear.

"Stay off areas you're not sure of and stay on marked trails," he said.