A young girl was spotted playing catch on the semi-frozen lake behind Ribbon Falls Loop in the Victory Lakes Community in Bristow around 2:30 p.m. Friday.
According to the Community Manager Jessica Misenko, who spoke to three boys who witnessed the incident, they attempted to warn the unidentified girl of the danger.
The boys told Misenko that they were yelling at her to get off, but said the other person kept throwing the football further and further out for her to catch.
Ultimately, the girl returned to the shore safely but the boys stated they did hear the ice cracking.
“The football remains on the lake. The boys said they watched as she made it in, but did hear the ice crack as she was just to shore,” she said.
The Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue explained that the fluctuations in temperatures coupled with uneven widths of ice in various location in a pond is dangerous for those who seek to recreate on the ice.
“The conditions that create the highest risk for children are when they are unsupervised, combined with periods of warm weather that draws them outside to play. Ice can deteriorate four times faster than it forms and its suitability for recreational purposes is often overestimated,” Communications Specialist Kim Y. Hylander said.
With temperatures in the 40s Friday afternoon, only half of the Ribbon Falls Loop Lake had an ice cover; Canada geese were swimming freely on the other half.
Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue Swift Water Rescue in conjunction with rescue agencies across the National Capitol Region recommend that ice recreation is best sought on skating rinks, pavilions, or other locations specifically designed for that purpose, and not the dangerous, naturally occurring ice that forms on area waters.
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