Obey warning signs, say police, after 2 teens fall through frozen Ajax pond

An unsafe ice sign on the Laurier Rink in Brockville, Ont. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Police in Durham Region are reminding the public that frozen bodies of water can be dangerous and even deadly after two 14-year-old boys fell through the ice at a pond in Ajax earlier this week.

The incident happened on Monday in a residential area near Mandrake and Doric streets, which is east of Harwood Avenue South between Kinston Road West and Highway 401.

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Police said that members of Durham Region Police Service’s (DRPS) West Division responded to a water rescue call in that area at about 4:20 p.m.

In a post on X, they said that one of the youth was able to climb out of the water back onto the ice, while the other became trapped in the frigid pond.

Ajax Fire along with DRPS and some nearby Good Samaritans were able to instruct the boy on how to safely get out of the water and crawl across the surface of the ice to the shore, police said.

Both youth were seen by paramedics and taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. They are both expected to be OK.

Durham Regional Police Service said that there were warning signs posted near that pond in Ajax.

“It is important to obey these signs and ensure children have an understanding that frozen water can be dangerous and even deadly,” police said.

“Please remember, with rapidly fluctuating temperatures this winter season, frozen water does not mean the ice holds weight. These accidents are preventable. Avoid injuries and possibly death by keeping yourself and your children away from bodies of frozen water this winter season.”