Police rescue man, dogs from Prince William County lake

WASHINGTON — A man and two dogs are safe after a dangerous ice rescue in Prince William County Sunday.

The Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department used a helicopter to rescue an elderly man who had been stranded on Lake Manassas at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday. The man’s canoe was flooded with ice cold water, officials say.

Unstable ice and dangerous conditions made the rescue difficult, officials say. It took crews between 20 and 35 minutes to reach the man, says U.S. Park Police Aviation Commander Lt. Simeon Klebaner.

When the man was rescued, paramedics began treatment for severe hypothermia. Crews transported him to Fairfax Hospital where he is in serious but stable condition as of Sunday night.

After the man’s rescue, the helicopter crew returned to the scene to search for additional victims. The crew located two dogs and rescued both of them.

Here’s the video:

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