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INUVIK - Three Sir Alexander Mackenzie School students learned a valuable lesson Tuesday on just how dangerous spring melting season can be in Inuvik.

The youngsters buried themselves in snow about armpit-high after jumping off a utilidor just behind Igloo Church during lunch hour at around 12:45 p.m. Even though they were able to dig each other out, each was wearing rubber boots and lost their footwear in the process. Luckily Fire Chief Al German was dropping off his child at school at the time of the incident and heard the children crying.

Two other firefighters, including deputy fire chief Rick Lindsay, arrived to help. Within minutes they dug the buried boots out of the snow and escorted the soaking children home, who were in a lot of discomfort after being exposed to bone-chilling water running beneath the snow.

Lindsay said he hopes the incident serves as a reminder to adventurous children that the mountains of melting snow located around the community pose a serious threat - to children especially.

Lindsay said there are also several ditches where culverts have been dug out that contain about eight feet of water.

"This is the most dangerous, dangerous time of year," the deputy chief said. "Stay away. Stay on the sidewalks, stay on the street. Don't be going off into the snow. It's your own butt you're saving. There's no two ways about it."