Overview
- Essex Fire and Rescue said crews were called to Rangers Road near Buckhurst Hill after an attempted dog rescue left two people in icy water.
- Witness video shot by Ozgur Ontas shows the passerby crawling onto the ice, the surface giving way again, and both men briefly submerging before getting back onto the frozen lake.
- Bystanders alerted authorities, and both men were pulled from the water and handed to ambulance crews for assessment, with no serious injuries reported.
- The dog was recovered and reunited with its owners, according to the fire service statement.
- Officials reiterated warnings during the UK cold snap to stay off frozen lakes, with the Met Office reporting the winter’s coldest night so far and temperatures potentially dropping to around −12°C.