Neighbors rescue three kids from icy lake after ice broke, but condition of teenager rescued by divers still unknown

Three kids were rescued and one is in the hospital after they fell into an icy lake in Douglas County on Tuesday afternoon. Broken ice, blankets, and ropes were some of the remnants that were left behind at the scene after a sudden community rescue in the Roxborough Park neighborhood.

Kristi Saine, her daughter Tori Longo and nearby neighbors jumped into action grabbing poles, garden hoses, extension cords and more to try and rescue four kids who were out on an icy lake when the ice broke and the kids fell in, one after another, according to neighbors.

"I jumped up on the fence, and I could see them, and they were in the water, all four of them, screaming help," said Saine, who heard the kids as she and her family were arriving home. "Neighbors used garden hoses which is what saved the three. Their hands were purple, their feet were frozen."  

While neighbors rescued two girls and one boy, they weren't able to get to the fourth kid, who's only been identified as another teenage boy.

"There was still one in there," said Longo. "They couldn't breathe, one of them couldn't breathe."

West Metro Fire Rescue responded to the 911 call around 2 p.m.

"Our dive team was able to get to that kid, and pull him out, he was taken to a local hospital," said Ronda Scholting, a spokesperson for WMFR.

Scholting said the boy was flown from UC Highlands Ranch to Children's Hospital for continued care, but his condition is unknown. She said the kids thought the ice was solid enough to hold their weight.

"Do not get on the ice, no matter if you think it's solid enough to hold your weight," Scholting said. "Smaller bodies of water will freeze up more quickly.  A lot of these neighborhood lakes, there's a lot of freezing and thawing."

Saine and her family took the three kids inside her home and warmed them up. 911 dispatch told Saine to put the kids in a shower to warm them up. Officials said neighbors did exactly what they were supposed to do in this rescue, with many of them staying on shore as they were pulling the kids out. Tonight nearby neighbors like Roger Barrett are grateful for the speedy response from his community for helping with the rescue.

"It's always terrible, especially this time of year, especially kids," Barrett said. "I know Colorado, I know this community, and I know the hearts are going to go out to everybody, and we're going to help everybody involved get through this."