Dozens of police officers and firefighters responded Wednesday night to a report that a car had driven onto the ice at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, but the incident was later determined to be a false alarm.
The situation began when Massachusetts state troopers responded to reports of people walking on the ice at the Res. The troopers instructed them to remain on dry land, according to Tim McGuirk, interim director of public affairs for the Massachusetts State Police.
While responding, a police cruiser drove down one of the slopes surrounding the Res. A passerby, who McGuirk said could not clearly see the cruiser, mistakenly believed it had fallen into the water and called 911.
“During the Troopers’ response, a person lost sight of a police cruiser that drove down one of the slopes surrounding the Reservoir,” McGuirk wrote in a statement to The Heights. “The person was concerned that the cruiser entered the water and reported it.”
Following the 911 call, additional state troopers, Boston College police officers, and Boston Fire and EMS units rushed to the scene, quickly filling St. Thomas More Road with emergency vehicles.
First responders used a drone and a spotlight attached to a fire truck ladder to help search for the car. After an extensive search, though, Boston College Police Department Chief William Evans reported no sign of a car or any related issues.
“A thorough search of the snow-covered reservoir turned up negative,” Evans wrote in a statement to The Heights.
Shortly after 8 p.m., officers left the scene. McGuirk said the situation was resolved without incident.
“It appears to be a misunderstanding from the caller,” Evans wrote.
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