Courageous kids help save people from icy Northern California pond: "Daddy, they just fell through."
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Two sisters, just 11 and 8, didn't let their age stop them from jumping into action when they noticed people had fallen into the icy waters of the Sawmill Pond, just east of the South Lake Tahoe Airport.
"They said, if you weren't there, they probably would have died," one of the girls, named Coral, said.
Their dad, Chris Bloch, said the family was on the way to little league tryouts on March 10 with another friend when Coral noticed the people standing on the ice over the pond were suddenly submerged underwater.
"Coral looked over, and she said, 'Daddy, they just fell through,' " Chris said. "I did a U-turn and drove straight for the pond. We jumped out and sure enough, these people were in the water."
He said his family loves fishing at Sawmill Pond during the summer months, but they know to stay clear of the thawing ice when the temperatures warm up.
Chris is a fire captain and instantly jumped into action. He said his priority was making sure the young girls were far enough away from the pond that they were safely out of harm's way.
"I was thinking, 'We need to get something to reach these people so that we can get them out. They need to grab something.' So I said, 'Girls, go find some sticks,' " Chris said. "Eventually, I was able to push this sled out to the man who grabbed onto it.
They quickly learned the couple who fell through the ice was not from the area and didn't know the dangers the area posed during the spring months. The couple's young daughter had called 911 before Chris and his daughters got to the scene, but they were still waiting for first responders to get to the scene.
"I was like 'I don't want to see any people die, so I'm going to help as much as I can,' " Sequoia, the other girl, said.
Eventually, they were able to pull both the man and the woman from the waters, and that's when Chris said his daughters made him the proudest.
"He was shivering uncontrollably, and Coral and Sequoia, they were helpful with giving them their jackets," Chris said. "Just so caring and really wanted to help them."
Chris praised both daughters' ability to stay calm under such extreme circumstances, making sure this situation had a happy ending.
"Such composure, and they were so calm during the whole thing that it allowed me to focus on figuring out a way to get these people out," Chris said.
Cal Fire said the story serves as a great reminder to be vigilant around thawing ponds during the spring season. They said it's important to call 911 and ensure first responders can do their job so more people don't find themselves trapped.