Man who fell into lake is hospitalized

A man who fell through thin ice in an area of the Angeles National Forest near Palmdale was in critical condition at a local hospital Tuesday night, sheriff’s officials said.

A special emergency unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was called to Jackson Lake about 3 p.m., after three people had fallen into the icy waters while tubing, said Sgt. Josie Woolum, a sheriff’s spokeswoman.

Two of the people were rescued by bystanders before the unit arrived, and the third man was rescued by sheriff’s divers who broke through the ice to search for him.

He was taken to Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville, she said.

Vivian Lin, 27, of San Gabriel was driving through the forest with her family when they stopped by the frozen lake to take photos and noticed the rescue effort.

“Somebody on the other side of the river tied a rope to themselves and jumped in and tried to find [the man], but couldn’t,” Lin said.

Woolum said people should always exercise caution in thin-ice situations.

“A lot of people who aren’t familiar with certain areas are not as readily prepared for undercurrents or the freezing temperatures,” she said.

“They don’t have knowledge of how thick or sturdy the ice is.”

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-- Tami Abdollah