Teen Remains In Critical Condition Following Ice Rescue
PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) - Grief counselors are at a high school in Parker on Friday after a tragedy in which three students fell into an icy pond and one died. The three students were identified on Friday afternoon.
The incident happened late Thursday afternoon in Parker's Hidden Village neighborhood. A neighbor first spotted the teens -- all males -- by a retention pond.
The teen who died has been identified as Patric Lantz.
Max Gantnier remains hospitalized in critical condition at Children's Hospital in Aurora and Cole Robinson has been released from the hospital.
Conditions were cold, and Parker police officers who first arrived used a branch to rescue one teen rather quickly. Members of the South Metro Fire dive team donned ice suits a short time later and were able to remove a second boy from the frigid waters. But the search for the final teen was more of a struggle. It took approximately 35 minutes to locate him, and he died later on Thursday.
On Friday afternoon, the 911 calls leading up to the rescue were released.
Caller: "I just looked out my window because my dogs were barking and I looked out into the pond and there was three guys out there."
Caller: "I can only see one now. It looks like they're struggling."
Caller: "All three of them are in the water."
911 Dispatch: "All three of them are?... Okay, I'm bringing the paramedics on the phone, do not hang up."
Caller: "I see their coats floating. I don't see their faces though."
It is unclear what the young men were doing on the pond before falling in, but the ice was noticeably thin on the lake due to warmer temperatures earlier this week.
The students all attended Legend High School where they were sophomores. Overnight Douglas County School District officials released a statement expressing dismay over the incident.
We are incredibly sad to learn of the passing of one of our students involved in Thursday's ice rescue in Parker. The student attended Legend High School, along with the two other boys involved in the rescue. the DCSD family is keeping these boys and their families in our thoughts.
Classes weren't scheduled to be held on Friday at the high school, but students and families were told they were welcome to meet with the counselors.
"We go through these times with our staff and some of the emotions and working through some of those things today is a big impact for us," said Legend High School Principal Jason Jacob.
Friends and classmates showed up at the pond with flowers and messages of hope. Many stayed on the property to comfort each other.
"They're such amazing kids, they're so nice, they never would say a mean thing and it's just such a sad thing to happen to innocent people," said the boys' friend Remy Diamond.
Waid also said Parker police has victims advocates available.
"I read on Facebook that it took them 35 minutes to get (him) out, and I didn't think it was a very big lake," Jean Richie told CBS4 as she stood next to the pond on Friday. The friend of the boys was one of several who came there Friday morning to pray, to lay down flowers or just to remember the one who died.
"I just didn't understand. I wanted to see it and try and figure out why it took so long. I just feel like he should still be here," she said.
Divers say it can be difficult to rescue someone from ice-covered water because of the visibility.
"If somebody has fallen through the ice or if there has been activity at that site before we get there, in general we're going to face very poor visibility. Visibility of six inches or less, possibly no visibility when we're diving in those conditions because the debris is all stirred up when someone enters the water," said West Metro Fire Rescue Lt. Chris Rhoads. "We plan on zero visibility. We are guided by a rope and a team on shore which controls our search areas. We're searching with our hands, in general, but when visibility is bad, we're limited to the length of our arms."
"It's a really heartbreaking moment because all over the school you hear about people who die from very tragic means and you never think it's going to be someone you know so well," said Legend High School student Conner Tasei.
Lantz was a player in the high school rugby club. A rugby ball, signed by his teammates, sits in the community memorial at the retention pond.
