Naperville firefighters rescued a boy from a DuPage River island Saturday after the ice he was walking on cracked, leaving him stranded.
Napervile Fire Department Division Chief Scott Salela said two boys were sledding near Rotary Hill when one of their sleds slid onto the ice-covered river near the Riverwalk Cafe.
The pair, who were between 10 and 12 years old, went onto the ice to retrieve it but had to take refuge on a small island when the ice started to break around them, Salela said. They were just west of the wooden bridge that connects the Riverwalk Cafe to Centennial Beach.
Firefighters lowered a roof ladder down from the wood bridge, and one of the boys climbed it to safety, Salela said.
The other child managed to get off the island before fighters arrived.
Salela said both boys were checked by the medics and their parents contacted.
The sled was left in the river because it was stuck in some branches, Salela said.
While no one was injured, ice on rivers can be particularly dangerous, he said.
“Always stay off the ice, especially with a river because the water is flowing underneath,” Salela said.
