Boy on ice falls in Little Deschutes River near La Pine

Two boys’ outing on the ice covering the Little Deschutes River nearly turned tragic Saturday afternoon north of La Pine when one fell through the ice and both were rescued, fire officials said, calling it a timely reminder of a wintertime safety rule: Stay off the ice.

The incident was reported around 1:30 p.m. near the South Century Drive bridge and Lazy River Drive, said La Pine Rural Fire District Capt. Fred Franklin.

Franklin said the two 12-year-olds were playing on the ice when one fell in — and become completely submerged — but was able to climb back out on his own. The second boy, on a small island in the river, stayed put so he, too, wouldn’t fall in.

Arriving crews found the boy who had fallen in already was back to the riverbank and shedding his cold, wet clothing. He was placed in a command vehicle to warm up, while others extended a ladder that barely reached the second boy, who crawled onto it and made it back to the riverbank.

The two boys were evaluated by fire department medics before Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies returned the pair to their homes.

Deputies reminded people to stay off iced-over waterways during the winter, as there’s no way to tell if it’s safe to handle the weight. Dogs have had to be rescued quite often over the years — as have people who tried to get them back to shore and fell in or got stuck themselves.