HAMPSTEAD — A 56-year-old Atkinson woman fell through the ice and drowned on Big Island Pond in Hampstead on Saturday morning.
The body of Emer Mezzetti was recovered by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Dive Team around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning in the area of Osprey Fork Road.
First responders were called to nearby Chase Island Road in Atkinson just before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday for reports of someone on the pond yelling for help.
Atkinson firefighters arrived at the pond “and deployed one rescuer in a cold-water suit with the other firefighter and Atkinson PD assisting with ropes from the shore.”
Rescuers worked for two hours and were able to establish contact with the woman, but “they faced significant challenges that ultimately prevented their ability to extricate the individual from the water.”
“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victim of this tragedy,” Atkinson FD said in the release.
One Atkinson firefighter was transported to a local-area hospital with injuries sustained in the rescue efforts.
Additional details about what Mezzetti was doing on the ice at the time of the incident have not been released.
The Atkinson police and fire departments were assisted by the New Hampshire State Police’s Marine Patrol, New Hampshire Fish and Game, Hampstead Police and Fire, Derry Police and Fire, PrideStar EMS, Plaistow Fire/Rescue and EMS and Salem Fire.
The New Hampshire State Police–Marine Patrol reminds all residents and visitors to use caution before venturing out on open ice this winter. General ice safety tips can be found on the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website.
Big Island Pond is located in the towns of Derry, Hampstead and Atkinson.