Three people crossing frozen lake die after plunging through ice, Arizona police say

Three people walking across a frozen Arizona lake fell through the ice and died, police said.

On Dec. 26, two men and one woman attempted to cross ice-covered Woods Canyon Lake, a small lake about 120 miles northeast of Phoenix, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

After they plunged into the icy water, deputies and fire units were able to pull the woman from the lake, police said, but life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

After obtaining a boat from a lakeside rental store, deputies continued searching the water for signs of the missing men, police said. Officials from another sheriff’s office also arrived and searched the area using cold water gear, and a cold water diver was brought in as well.

The bodies of the missing men, both in their late 40s, were eventually located on Dec. 27, police said.

The trio, originally from India, lived in Chandler, Arizona, police said.

Five children were near the shore when the adults fell through, ABC15 reported. Two of them lost both parents.

A representative for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

The investigation is continuing, according to police.

This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Three people crossing frozen lake die after plunging through ice, Arizona police say."