Firefighters train in frozen waters near Arlington

Published 5:56 pm Tuesday, January 29, 2008

ARLINGTON – A man waved his arms in the middle of a frozen pond this morning near Arlington.

“Help me! Help me!” he shouted.

The man, Woodinville firefighter Greg Garat, was in the chilly water today as part of an ice training program for 20 firefighters from around the region.

Other firefighters wearing wetsuits and tied onto ropes quickly plucked Garat out of the freezing waters.

Sub-freezing temperatures have created a thin layer of ice on Snohomish County ponds in the last few weeks.

Firefighters train in these conditions to be ready in case someone falls through the ice.

Partially frozen ponds and lakes can be fatal. Last year a 15-year-old boy died when he fell into Martha Lake near Lynnwood.

People should stay off the ice, said Gary Westerman, a firefighter with Snohomish County Fire District 1.

If someone sees someone else fall in, try to throw them something from the shore, but don’t go out after them, he said.

“We don’t want to throw to throw one body after another,” Westerman said.