Snowmobiler rescued from Nippersink Lake after falling through ice

Divers rescued a snowmobiler from the icy waters of Nippersink Lake Monday night after a Fox Lake resident heard him screaming for help, authorities said.

The snowmobile driver was standing on the seat of his snowmobile in about 6 feet of water, some 100 yards from the shore, about 6:30 p.m. Two divers were able to swim out to him and keep him afloat until an airboat arrived, then brought him to shore, said Battalion Chief Tom Preidis of the Fox Lake Fire Protection District.

The man was taken to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia but is otherwise believed to be doing OK, Preidis said.

The resident who heard the man screaming told authorities she came out of her house to see what was going on. Preidis said her house is some 300 yards from where the man was.

Emergency crews set up a staging area on the 100 block of Lakeview Avenue.

Preidis advised people not to go onto area lakes.

"In some areas, it's probably 10 to 12 inches thick, and others with 2 inches," he said. "We've had a really warm winter. You can go in the middle of the lake and it looks like it's safe, but it's only 2 inches thick."