Members of the Gouverneur Fire Department spent Saturday morning of February 23, 2008 in the cold waters of Sylvia Lake training in ice rescue techniques. Firefighters met at the Pump House and donned "gumby" suits and entered the frigid water to rescue "victims" who fell through the ice.

Members were instructed by St.Lawrence County divermaster Mark Smutz in several techniques of rescue including the use of a floating harness and reach pole. One of the problems faced with rescuers is often the victim in the water tends to panic and making it difficult to secure the victim to the harness.

The GFD does not recommend people to walk on the ice if they don't know how strong it is. A body of water like Sylvia Lake has many thin spots due to bad weather and internal springs. They also remind residents to not let their animals on the ice.