HARTFORD, Conn. -- University of Connecticut students received a text message Saturday via the University Text Message Alert System.

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Heather Hegedus said that the emergency alert system at UConn was put into place after the tragedy last spring at Virginia Tech.

UConn's emergency system was tested twice in the fall, but Saturday was the first time the system had to be used for a real situation.

When the text message went out a little after 2:30 p.m., some students said they didn’t receive the message until hours after the message was initially sent, and others said they didn’t receive it at all.

Maj. Ron Blicher of the UConn Police Department told Eyewitness News that the school is aware of the problem and has so far been unhappy with the company they are using.

He said that the university is currently in the process of finding a new company to send out messages in the future.

The message that the students received read:

"On 02/23/08 at 7:30am, UCONN Police found footprints leading to a six foot hole in the ice in the center of Swan Lake. Witnesses recalled seeing a group of individuals walking on the lake late yesterday or early this morning. UCONN Fire Department notified Tolland County Dive Team to assist in checking underwater. Divers entered the water and searched the area and indicated that nothing underwater was disturbed. They felt confident that there was no one under the ice. However, as a precaution anyone who has information on this incident or concerns for missing persons, please call UCONN Police at (860)486-4800. As a reminder, please use caution and stay off of thin ice."