January 20, 2020

MDIFW NEWS: Ice Skater Rescued After Breaking Through Ice In Middle Of Thompson Lake

OXFORD, Maine -- An ice skater is lucky to be alive after he fell through the ice and was rescued by a team of emergency rescue personnel and game wardens on Thompson Lake in Oxford.

Mark Simpson, age 56 of Oxford, was out skating on the north end of Thompson Lake at 3:50 this afternoon when he broke through the ice. Witnesses quickly called 911, and game wardens, local fire departments and rescue personnel responded to the scene at Briggs Street in Oxford and saw Simpson in the water near the middle of the lake.

Members of the Oxford, Norway, and Paris fire departments along with game wardens donned rescue gear and headed on to the ice with a rescue sled to get Simpson. Fire department personnel were able to load him into the sled and get him back to shore. Simpson was then transported by Oxford Rescue to Stevens Memorial Hospital. As of 6:30 pm, Simpson was still at the hospital and his condition was unavailable.

Agencies involved in the rescue included the Maine Warden Service, Oxford Fire Department who was the lead agency on the rescue, Norway Fire Department, Paris Fire Department, Poland Fire Department, Otisfield Fire Department, Bridgton Police Department, Oxford Police Department, Oxford Sherriff's Office and Oxford Rescue.

"Even though temperatures have been colder recently, ice conditions on this lake and others in the area remain very inconsistent and dangerous," said Maine Game Warden Harry Wiegman who was part of the rescue crew that saved Simpson. Rescue crews did an excellent job in very difficult and challenging conditions to rescue Simpson. Currently, there is no further information available.