Photo: Douglas Sacha / Moment / Getty Images
In a tragic incident in St. Lawrence County, two men lost their lives after falling through the ice while ice fishing. The victims, identified as 33-year-old Bryan LaPlante from Newton Falls and 48-year-old Michael Booth from Oswegatchie, were pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in the water on Sunday (January 18).
According to WWNY, the incident occurred when the group, which included a six-year-old boy, was returning from a fishing trip on Chaumont Pond. The pond is connected to the Oswegatchie River in the town of Clifton. Their snowmobile broke through the ice, leading to the tragic accident.
Patrick LaPlante, who was also part of the group, managed to crawl out of the water after attempting to rescue the others. He returned home to warm up and later reported the incident to emergency responders. The six-year-old boy, who was lifted out of the water by his father, walked nearly two miles to seek help and call 911.
Rescue crews found Bryan LaPlante and Michael Booth unresponsive in the water. Despite efforts to revive them with CPR, they were later pronounced dead at the hospital. Patrick LaPlante and the child were treated for hypothermia.
St. Lawrence County Emergency Services Director Richard Rusaw expressed the community's grief, noting that the victims were well-known members of local hunting clubs. The community is considering a stress debrief for those involved in the rescue efforts.