First responders from Mount Arlington, Hopatcong and Jefferson Township donned their cold water ice rescue suits and made their way into the frigid waters of Lake Hopatcong on Sunday morning, February 22, 2009 to partake in an ice rescue drill. A slow passing weather front blanketed the area with a constant light snow, cutting down visibilty on the frozen lake. Rescuers practiced their basic ice rescue skills, such as crawling out on the ice to a victim with the use of ice awls or picks, self rescue, solo rescue (one rescuer/one victim) and two man rescues with the use of a Marsars sled and other rescue devices. Rescuers operating the tether lines manually pulled both the victim and the rescuer from the break in the ice back to the shoreline. Tether operators must know which safety lines are connected to the victim and which ones are attached to the rescuer. Commonly, different colored safety ropes are used for this reason. Knowing which rope to pull and which rope to provide slack, helps to coordinate an effective rescue. ****** The snowfall created quite a challenge while taking these photos, as you will see later in the gallery.... *****