On January 1, 2026 at approximately 16:48 hours Ulster Hose #5 dive team was dispatched with the Kingston Fire Department to the area of the Esopus creek on Washington Ave for a reported people in the water. On arrival working with the Kingston Fire Department both agencies deployed members on the ice in exposure suits doing a surface ice search. With the thin ice conditions making it difficult to search from the surface Ulster Hose deployed two divers under the ice completing the search of the area. Very fortunate that all searches were found to be negative and approximately 2-1/2 hours Ulster Hose cleared the scene.
Law enforcement later confirmed that no individuals went under the ice and that there are no active missing persons related to the incident.
With this incident we urge everyone to practice ice and water safety throughout the year. Your safety is your responsibility. Learn about the different ways to check ice thickness before heading out. Temperature, snow cover, currents, springs all affect the relative safety of ice. Ice is seldom the same thickness over a single body of water; it can be two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away. Please follow proper safety precautions when going on ice this winter season.
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