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'Immediate panic': Sask. dad warning others after multiple people fall through ice at Regina Beach

A family ice fishing trip turned dangerous when a nine-year-old girl fell through the ice at Regina Beach, Sask., on Monday.

Jason Dueck said he takes his daughters ice fishing often and they talk about what to do in an emergency.

"That's the only reason why my daughter's still here today; because she has learned those safety precautions," Dueck said.

On Monday, the family arrived and found 60-centimetre thick ice, he said. They set up camp and, in the early afternoon, his youngest daughter wanted a snack. His oldest, nine years old, went to grab it.

"I told her, 'Watch out for soft spots.' And she's like 'Yup, no problem,'" Dueck said. "Then on her way back she hit a soft patch of ice and broke through.

Dueck said he felt "immediate panic" when his daughter fell in.

"If I had thought with a clear head, I probably could have avoided a lot of that situation. But when you see your child go into the water and screaming for your help, you want to get there and try to help her."

Submitted by Jason Dueck
Submitted by Jason Dueck

Dueck said he wasn't thinking and ran over to try and pull her out. He fell through as well and held up his daughter while hanging onto an ice shelf.

"I was just trying to comfort her and just let her know that there was help on the way," Dueck said. "We're gonna get out of this."

He said he tried to yell for people to stay back but couldn't because of the cold water.

"I was too frozen in shock at that moment. I couldn't even hardly speak..."

It was a freak accident that could happen to anybody. - Jason Dueck

Dueck said another ice fisher came to help and fell into the water, then two men who were on land rushed out and fell through, too.

A different ice fisher stayed with Dueck's other daughter and immediately phoned 911.

"We're pretty emotionally shook," Dueck said. "It was a freak accident that could happen to anybody."

'Words just aren't enough'

Dueck said his daughter is alive because she didn't panic, called for help, treaded water and tried to grab onto an ice shelf.

"She did amazing," Dueck said. "She was trying to get to the nearest ice surface and just hang on — the cold water had just gotten to her."

Dueck said his back locked up in the freezing water and he was only running on adrenaline to get through it.

He guesses he and his daughter were in the water for around 10 to 15 minutes. He said he still has no feeling in his fingers 24 hours later.

Submitted by Paul Berger
Submitted by Paul Berger

EMS paramedics pulled Dueck and his daughter out, as well as the first person who attempted to rescue them. The second and third would-be rescuers were close enough to shore that they could touch the bottom of the lake and get out, Dueck said.

"Had it not been for people who were so quick to respond, I don't know that it would have been a very happy ending," Dueck said.

Dueck said he wants to offer a huge thank you to the emergency responders, volunteers and, especially, a lady who was fishing near them.

"One lady that was fishing just to the west [of] us. She was with my daughter in the back of the emergency vehicle that we're warming up in and she held her the whole time. When I couldn't.

"Sometimes words just aren't enough."

The sun is shining and things are warming up, and even though the ice looks thick — in the majority of places it's thin and is starting to break up. - Cpl. Rob King

Dueck said everyone fishing around them tried to help as well and others helped his other daughter off the ice safely.

"That's the nice thing about outdoors people," Dueck siad. "We're all kind of this big family and if someone is in trouble, we rush to help."

"That's how life should be."

The RCMP and Town of Regina Beach are reminding people that no one should be out on the ice at this time.

"The sun is shining and things are warming up and even though the ice looks thick — in the majority of places it's thin and is starting to break up," Cpl. Rob King with the RCMP said. "It is extremely unstable and extremely dangerous."

Dueck said for any other parents in a similar situation, they should always check and double check their surroundings. "Because you just never know when that one split second is gonna happen," Dueck said. "One split second can change your life forever."