Joshua E. Mattison helped to save Charles L. Mingo from drowning, Queensbury, New York, April 2, 2008. Ice fishing on Harris Bay of Lake George, Mingo, 62, was returning to the bank when he broke through weakened ice into water about 15 feet deep and could not climb back out. Mattison, 24, who was a yard worker for a marina on the bay in the vicinity, was alerted to the situation and joined other marina employees at one of the facility’s docks. Although ice on the bay was deteriorating, opening sections of water, Mattison and one of the other employees stepped onto the ice and, taking a life ring with attached line, made their way about 800 feet toward Mingo, crawling the last several feet. The other employee threw the ring to Mingo but, lacking traction, could not pull him out. Having to cross a pressure ridge in the ice that was between them, Mattison joined him, and, bracing their feet into the slushy surface of the ice, they pulled Mingo out of the open water, Mattison breaking through the ice with his foot at one point. They dragged him away from the hole and toward the bank, where firefighters were responding. Mattison and the other employee returned to the bank as firefighters removed Mingo from the ice by means of a hovercraft. He was taken to the hospital, where he was detained for treatment of hypothermia. He recovered.
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