Teens Playing On Icy Lake Fall Into Freezing-Cold Water; 1 Dead

A 16-year-old boy died after he and another teenager fell into the freezing-cold water of a Georgia lake.

First responders pulled immediately out one of the teens alive but had to spend about an hour and 20 minutes inside the water before finally finding the deceased teenager, officials said.

The incident took place while the teenagers were playing on top of an icy lake in Kennesaw on Wednesday. The sheet of ice on top of Ellison Lake gave way and led to the two teenagers falling into the frigid waters, AP News reported.

Shocked witnesses called 911 and reported the two boys, both aged 16, in the icy lake, according to WSB-TV.

"There was about five or six kids out here, and they were all screaming, 'Help, help, we need help!," witness Hayleigh James told the outlet. "They were like standing at the edge like, 'How can we get our friend?"

James also recalled seeing the mother of one of the teenagers rushing to the boys, who were in surface water temperatures that were as low as 28 degrees.

"The mom, she came out here screaming. She had a pool noodle. She was trying to save them, and you know it just breaks your heart," James added.

Police officers managed to rescue one of the teenagers, Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services said in a Thursday statement.

"The police was really the first one to get in the water," James added. "He took off everything, and he was throwing things out trying to pull them in, another police officer went in there too."

The surviving teenager was rushed to the hospital and received medical attention.

First responders continued searching for more than an hour for the second teenager, who was finally found at around 6:50 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Four members of the rescue crew were treated at the scene for injuries and for being exposed to extremely cold temperatures. One of them was treated at the hospital for hypothermia, while another received medical attention for abrasions sustained during the rescue mission.

Officials warned residents about the dangers of going too close to icy lakes and ponds during this time.

"Keep an eye on your young folks. Make sure that they are not playing in areas that may be unsafe," Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Public Information Officer Nick Danz said. "It's not safe to go out on any body of water or trust the ice on any body of water."