Firefighters in St. Louis quickly had to put their training into action when they witnessed two people fall through the ice while they were practising rescues.
Crews with the Maryland Heights Fire Protection District were coming to the end of their training session on Creve Coeur Lake in Missouri when the incident took place on Tuesday, February 8.
Firefighters had travelled to the lake that day to 'take advantage of the weather and the ice conditions', but while there they spotted two teenagers running across the lake. Less than 15 seconds later, the 'ice broke and they were in the water'.
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See what happened next below:
In a post about the rescue on Facebook, Maryland Heights Fire Protection District explained the crew members who were still at the lake 'went into response mode', working alongside two chiefs while also requesting a 'full response'.
After having just undergone training on making rescues from the ice, four rescuers were able to get to the area where the people had fallen through and 'remove the victims in a very timely fashion'.
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Footage of the rescue shows firefighters finding a safe spot on solid ice before throwing ropes to those in the water. One crew member got into the water with the pair to help secure them to the rope before another joined them and helped guide the teenagers back to the surface.
Maryland Heights Fire Protection District said its own crew were assisted by the Pattonville Fire Protection District and Creve Coeur Fire Protection District in the rescue, and offered its thanks to those who were involved.
Adding a warning to anyone who might be considering venturing out onto ice, they wrote: 'We ask one thing from everyone – Stay off the ice! These 2 were lucky with their outcome because we had crews within seconds but not everyone is that lucky.'
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The crew members received a wealth of praise after footage of the rescue was shared on Facebook, and one viewer noted that the firefighters were in the 'right place at the right time'.
Another commented: 'Unbelievable! Thank God you were training and observed these two teens. No doubt, these firemen saved their lives. Thanks for all you do in service to others.'
It's unclear why the two teenagers decided to run on to the lake, but they definitely have the firefighters to thank for helping them get off it again.
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Emily Brown