The Maine Warden Service is warning people to check for thin ice after a man was rescued at a pond in Industry on New Year’s Day.

A game warden and an ice fisherman averted tragedy when they teamed up to pull 68-year-old David Beaudoin, of Industry, out of Clearwater Pond on Wednesday, according to Mark Latti, spokesperson for the Warden Service.

A man was rescued Wednesday after breaking through ice on Clearwater Pond in Industry. Maine Warden Service

Game Warden Cody York was checking in with fisherman Miles Pelletier around 11 a.m. when they both heard a man yelling for help across the pond. Initially unable to see anything unusual, the men drove to Moes Cove Road.

There, they saw Beaudoin, who had broken through the ice about 15 feet from shore and was in the water over his head. York and Pelletier used a rope to get to Beaudoin and drag him to shore.

Beaudoin was extremely hypothermic and unable to move or speak after being in the water for an extended time, Latti said. York and Pelletier put him in the warden’s truck to warm up until an ambulance arrived to take him to MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington.

York later talked to Beaudoin’s family and was told he was fully alert and eating, Latti said.

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Game wardens say people should check the ice before venturing out on any frozen body of water.

Ice that is light gray to dark black and melting is not safe to walk on. White to opaque indicates water-saturated snow that froze on top of ice that can lead to air pockets, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Mottled and slushy – or “rotten” – ice can be deceptive because it may appear thick on top, but is rotting away at the center. This condition is most prevalent in spring.

The safest ice will appear blue to clear and has a high density that makes it very strong, according to the department.

People should not walk on ice that is less than 4 inches thick and should not drive a snowmobile or ATV on ice until it is 5 to 7 inches thick. Ice must be 8 to 12 inches to support most cars or small pickup trucks and over a foot before it will hold a medium-sized truck.

Officials warn that ice is never 100% safe and that while new ice is stronger than old, it never forms uniformly. Ice can be 12 inches thick in one spot, but only 2 or 3 inches 20 feet away, according to the department.

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