ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)– A 12-year-old boy is dead, and an 11-year-old girl is in critical condition after falling through the ice of Washington Park Lake around 4:35 p.m. on Saturday. Albany Police said on Sunday morning, members of the New York State Police underwater recovery team found the boy’s body at 7:25 p.m.
Police said their investigation found that the boy had tried walking north across the lake and towards the lake house before he fell through the ice. After seeing him fall through the ice, the girl attempted to help him but fell through the ice after taking the same path.
Albany firefighters rescued the girl before underwater recovery teams searched for the boy. She is being treated at Albany Medical Center.
Both the boy and girl are students of the Albany City School District. In a post on the school district website, Superintendent Joseph Hachreiter said the district is organizing crisis services for Monday for North Albany Middle School and elementary school students.
“Our hearts go out to the families of these students at this incredibly difficult time,” Hochreiter said. “This is a terrible tragedy and we are grieving as a school community.”
Stay with NEWS10 as more information becomes available.