A Greeley man was saved by firefighters Monday evening after he fell through the ice at Bittersweet Park, 35th Avenue and 13th Street.

Leroy Stevens, 61, walked to the ambulance after he was pulled from the broken ice in the center of Bittersweet Pond, about 100 yards from the shore. Strong winds were blowing from the north at the time of the rescue and temperatures were near freezing.

Stevens was taken to North Colorado Medical Center, where he was treated in the emergency room and released. Police Lt. Joe Tymkowych said Stevens is a transient. He first told his rescuers he was trying to catch a fish for dinner then said he was just taking a short cut across the ice. There was no evidence of any fishing gear.

Firefighters said he’d been in the water about 15-20 minutes before they were able to pull him out.

Union Colony Fire/Rescue Authority firefighters were in the area, returning to Station No. 3, when they received a call of a man who had fallen through the ice, according to Battalion Chief Greg Thompson.

Police received a call just minutes earlier from someone who reported a man walking on the ice at Bittersweet, and they feared he would fall through. That call turned into an emergency when the ice broke under the man, and he went into the water.

“We responded immediately,” Thompson said, “and two of our firefighters got into their ‘Gumby suits.’ Those are dry suits that they can put on over their uniforms, so they’re much faster.”

Firefighters Greg Todd and John Forster went onto the ice wearing the suits. While Forster held one end of a rope, Todd held the other end and walked toward the thin ice. When he reached the area close to Stevens, Todd broke through.

“I just told him to do as I say,” Todd said later. “I got behind him to put the rope around him, because if we get in front, sometimes people panic.”

With Forster pulling the rope and Todd lifting, Stevens was out of the water within a few seconds and walked calmly to the ambulance.

Todd said the ice in the area where Stevens broke through was between 2 and 3 inches thick.

Stevens could not be reached for comment.

Safety tips on ice
1. You’ll need, at the very least, 4 inches of clear ice to be safe. Drill in the ice until you hit water and measure the ice. The thicker and clearer the better.
2. Go with a friend.
3. Wear a life jacket or flotation device in case you happen to fall in.
4. Stay reasonably close to shore.
5. Check with park rangers or officials about the condition of the water before you go out on the ice.
6. Be careful about large groups near one spot on the ice. Just because it can hold you doesn’t mean it can hold two of your friends and you.
7. If the ice responds to you by squeaking or cracking when you step, you probably shouldn’t walk on it.