Brian Sutch and his daughter Falen from Manchester, Connecticut, were traveling northwest on North Twin Lake on snowmobiles when they broke through the ice and quickly became submerged just before 7 p.m. Monday.
Brian, 53, and Falen, 16, were both riding on their own snowmobiles when the thin ice broke. They were able to pull themselves out of the water and onto safe ice while wearing full riding gear and helmets, according to John MacDonald, a public information officer for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
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The pair called 911 and a game warden and the Millinocket Fire Department responded. The Sutches were taken by rescue sled to an ambulance, and were then transported to the Millinocket Regional Hospital, where they were treated for hypothermia, according to MacDonald.
They have both been released from the hospital.
The snowmobiles remain in the lake, under about 25 feet of water. The game wardens are at the scene again today to determine the location of the snowmobiles, and to formulate a plan to remove them.