Local state trooper has brush with death trying to rescue New Jersey snowmobiler

A Tupper Lake state trooper nearly lost his life Friday morning trying to rescue a snowmobiler who fell through the ice on Long Lake.
At approximately 8:50a.m. that day state troopers from the stations in Tupper Lake and Indian Lake responded to a call that a snowmobiler went through the ice into Long Lake.
According to state police, Trooper Michael S. Kohan of Tupper Lake responded to the area of Route 28 north and Van Hussen Drive and located the partially submerged snowmobiler in the lake.
Trooper Kohan was walking on the ice toward 61 year old Michael J. Michna of North Brunswick, N.J. when he fell through the ice about 150 yards from shore.  According to the state police report, he was unable to lift himself out of the water onto the ice surface.
Trooper Roger W. Lind and members of the Long Lake Fire Department and Long Lake Rescue Squad arrived at the scene and were able to pull Trooper Kohan from the water.  The rescue party also pulled Mr. Michna from the water.
There was apparently another snowmobiler nearby who alerted Trooper Kohan to Mr. Michna's exact location, according to one report this week..
The rescue squad volunteers transported the snowmobiler to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake where he was treated and released.
Trooper Kohan, who was in the water about seven minutes, was treated at the scene for exposure to freezing water and a small laceration.
Also responding to the call were state Department of Environmental Conservation rangers and members of the Blue Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, according to reports this week.