A fisherman from Căplani village of Ștefan-Vodă district died on the morning of February 28 after he fell under the ice of a pond near Antonesti. He was fishing together with another man, who managed to survive, IPN reports.
The call to the 112 Service was received at 07:50 a.m., after passers-by noticed the two men in the cold water. Rescuers of the Ștefan-Vodă Emergency Situations Division managed to save one of the fishermen, a 45-year-old man. The other man, aged 72, was dead when he was taken out of the water.
According to local authorities, the victim was an experienced fisherman. The survivor said that he tried to save his mate, but in vain. The two fell under the water about 20 meters from the shore. The men are not related and they only shared a passion for fishing.
Preliminary examinations shows that the two men consumed alcohol before going fishing. They went out on the ice although they were repeatedly warned by the owner of the pond that the ice was thin and could break. They ignored the warnings and went back to fish.
In recent days, three other people were rescued from frozen waters following similar incidents. On February 27, a 43-year-old man was taken out of the "Valley of Roses" lake in Chisinau by lifeguards. On the same day, in Ghidighici, a man in a wheelchair fell into the water while trying to fish, being saved by rescuers. A similar case happened on February 24, in "La Izvor" lake in the capital city. A man was fishing alone on the surface of the lake, at a distance of almost 40 meters from the shore. The layer of ice suddenly cracked and the fisherman fell into the water, managing to hold on to a wooden paddle on the surface.
The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations warns that oscillating temperatures make the ice sheet extremely fragile. Rescuers recommend citizens to avoid fishing or walking on frozen lakes and to be properly equipped if they choose to take this risk. In case of emergencies, citizens are urged to call 112 immediately.
