3 Fishermen Rescued from Thin Ice in Somers

Three fishermen were rescued Monday afternoon after they found themselves on thin ice in Somers, NY, Second Assistant Fire Chief Jody Leverich told Patch. 

First responders were called to the area of the Muscoot Reservior near the Plumbrook Road bridge, located off Route 100, at around 3:20 p.m. The three fishermen were still standing on the thin ice when rescuers arrived at the scene, but fell into the water during the rescue. 

Wen N. Chan, from Brooklyn; Chuck Y. To, from Brooklyn; and Chi S. Liu, from New York, were heard yelling for assistance on the ice by a passerby, state police said. 

To and Liu were rescued by a New York State Police helicopter, which lowered a member of the State Police Special Operations Response Team to retrieve them. They were transported by the Somers Fire Department Ambulance to Northern Westchester Hospital.

Chan was rescued by ice rescuers and taken to the Putnam Hospital, Leverich said.

The three men are being treated for hypothermia and expected to make a full recovery, state police said. There were no other reported injuries. 

Responding agencies were the Somers, Goldens Bridge and Yorktown fire departments, Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Mohegan Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Somers Police Department and New York State Police. 

The area of the Plumbrook Road bridge is where fishermen usually go, Leverich said. But during this time of the year the ice is thin and the Somers fire department typically performs one ice rescue a year there. 

"We don't believe any ice is safe," Leverich said. "You can't tell how thin the ice is."

He advised that it's better to stay off the ice this late in the season.