Barrie Firefighters performed an ice rescue Sunday afternoon on Kempenfelt Bay after a young woman walked out onto the ice in dense fog.
A concerned citizen called emergency crews around noon after seeing a woman, possibly in her mid-20s, heading out on the ice at the bottom of Mulcaster Street.
Barrie Police tried to coax her back into shore, but were unsuccessful, according to Barrie Fire Platoon Chief Jeff Catteau, who says Barrie Fire then walked out to get her.
"She was out approximately 900 feet when we were able to rescue her from the ice. We had a visual on her through the fog. We just put her in a life jacket and brought her back into shore," said Catteau.
"She was not lost. She was continuing to walk outwards, out from the shoreline towards the middle of the Bay."
Two Firefighters wearing emersion suits and personal flotation devices walked out with a rope line, leaving their yellow Rapid Deployment Craft onshore.
Catteau didn't know why the woman was walking on the ice but says she resisted returning to shore and was not dressed for the weather.
She was transported to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre by Simcoe County Paramedics.
Firefighters were just out on the Bay on Thursday testing their equipment in case of an ice rescue.
"I'm actually quite surprised that this is the first one we've had in this little warm spell. Usually when we get a warm spell like this in the middle of the winter we end up with a lot more ice rescue calls. So far this winter we've been extremely lucky that people I think have been heeding the warnings to stay off the ice, for the most part," Catteau said.
"We need to continue to stress that it is a warm spell now and it is unsafe to be out on any ice until the experts say we can be out there."
