Emergency services rescue Amsterdam skater after fall through ice

A 35-year-old skater in Amsterdam had to be rescued by emergency services after he fall trough the ice on Plesmalaan in Nieuw West. The man was taken to the hospital, hypothermic but conscious and lucid, Het Parool reports.

Two passersby noticed the man around 9:00 p.m. and called the emergency services. The man was only a few meters from the edge and rescuers could get him to the side quickly.

The Amsterdam police strongly urge skaters not to try skating on natural ice in the city - it is not cold enough for the ice to definitely hold. "If you want to skate, do it on artificial ice", a spokesperson said to Het Parool.