NEW HARTFORD, Conn. -- Firefighters have some tips they hope everyone will consider before stepping foot onto the ice this winter.

A teenager riding an all-terrain vehicle in Marlborough fell through the ice on Wednesday, and fisherman ran to his aid and pulled him from the water using ropes.

Firefighters said that's not uncommon in Connecticut.

One ice fisherman told Eyewitness News that he has seen people ice skating toward open water, even pulling their kids in sleds toward open water.

"Everyone's been anxious this winter for ice. They just haven't waited long enough for it to get solid enough for it to be safe," said Debbie Bourbeau, of Marlborough.

New Hartford firefighters train all winter for these types of situations. When someone falls in the icy water, it's a race against time and hypothermia.

"As your body loses temperature and it gets colder and colder, you can't perform skills because everything's tightening up," New Hartford firefighter Mike Harris said. "You're getting cold, you're turning into shock."

Firefighters said prevention is everything, and some of them have lived on the lake their whole lives and they still take precautions

"I don't go out until I drill a hole about two feet off shore and I measure the ice. If I feel it's thick enough, I see how deep it is and I walk 50 more feet and cut another hole," another firefighter told Eyewitness News.

"Two inches can support a person, three inches can support a snowmobile, six and above will support a vehicle," Harris said. "Anytime you're on the ice, you're taking a chance. What you think is feasible and sensible for your family, that's the best thing to do."

Firefighters said that when ice cracks, it's a good sign because that means ice is expanding and freezing underneath.

If you're unsure as to the safety of the ice, you can call the local fire department.

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