Quick thinking and immediate action saved the lives of two people in Aleknagik early Tuesday morning.

At 7:20 am on Tuesday, the Aleknagik VPSO Jason Creasey was on the south shore of Aleknagik Lake when he observed the headlights of an ATV traveling across the lake towing a small trailer in the early morning darkness. As he was watching, he saw the ATV break through the ice of the lake.

Acting quickly, Creasey contacted village residents on the north shore of the lake, then traveled to the north shore to assist. When Creasey arrived on that side of the lake, three residents, that he had called initially, had already pulled the two unfortunate riders, a father and daughter, from the lake. The rescuers had used ropes to pull them from the frigid water and then had taken them to a nearby home to warm them.

The two unidentified riders had wisely donned life jackets before traversing the lake. EMS was contacted by Creasey, but they were not needed, the father and daughter reported being wet and cold but were otherwise uninjured.

Later in the afternoon, the ATV was retrieved from where it broke through in 15 to 20 feet of water.

Individuals traveling across the lake are cautioned to follow the markers set out on the lake that show where the ice is thick enough to travel across.

The community of Aleknagik has a population of approximately 227 and lies at the head of the Wood River on the southeast end of Lake Aleknagik. The village is 16 miles northwest of Dillingham in Southwest Alaska.