Man Rescued After Falling Through Ice At East Canyon Reservoir

MORGAN, Utah – A man was rescued after falling through the ice at East Canyon Reservoir Saturday morning.

East Canyon State Park Ranger Chris Haramoto said the incident happened around 10:00 a.m. along the northern shore of the reservoir. He said a group of four had gone out on the ice to fish and when they returned, one of them walked over a thin patch of ice.

“He was trying to get himself out, but the ice just kept breaking as he was trying to get out,” Haramoto said.

Haramoto said one of the members of the group tried to get to the man, but could not make it there safely. Another member of the group called the park office.

Haramoto rushed to the scene with a rope to pull the man to safety. Jason Dolan, who was renting a cabin nearby, saw what was happening and went to help. They took the man to the warmth of Dolan’s cabin. He had been in the frigid water for about ten minutes.

“By the time we got him up here, I’m pretty sure he couldn’t feel any of his body and he was starting to go into shock,” Dolan said. “We had immediately started taking his clothes off, getting his boots off, wrapping hot, warm blankets around him,”

Haramoto said paramedics responded and treated the man at the scene. He was not taken to a hospital. He said the incident highlights the importance of safety gear, like a rope and safety spikes. He said it is also important to keep in mind that different parts of the ice will have varying thickness.

“Sometimes the ice isn’t uniform across the whole lake. You’re going to get some areas that have thicker ice, four or five inches, and then you’ll find a spot that’s only an inch thick and that’s where trouble comes into play,” he said.

Haramoto said the ice at the southern end of the reservoir is thicker at this point in the season.