Girl, 11, in Critical Condition After Trying to Save Boy, 12, Who Died After Falling Through Ice in New York Park

A 12-year-old boy has died and an 11-year-old girl is in critical condition after they fell through the ice in a lake in a New York State park over the weekend.

On Saturday, Dec. 7, at around 4:35 p.m. local time, Albany Police Department officers “responded to Washington Park Lake near the park’s lake house for reports of two juveniles who had fallen through the ice,” per a news release shared on Facebook.

Officers and Albany firefighters rescued the young girl upon arrival, the release stated, adding that the New York State Police underwater recovery team recovered the deceased boy’s body from the water at around 7:25 p.m.

The girl was “treated on scene and transported to Albany Medical Center Hospital for further treatment,” police said.

“Through the investigation, it is believed that the 12-year-old boy attempted to walk north across the lake towards the lake house and fell through the ice,” police stated.

The release added, “It is then believed that the 11-year-old female observed the boy fall through the ice and, in an attempt to help, followed the same path of travel across the lake, where she also fell through the ice.”

Police aren’t releasing the victims’ names due to their ages, but said that both families had been notified.

“Both juveniles are students of the Albany City School district, and notifications have been made to school officials,” the release said. “The 11-year-old female is being treated at Albany Medical Center Hospital where she is listed in critical condition.”

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The City School District of Albany confirmed two North Albany Middle School students had been “involved in a tragic accident,” per a release posted on its website.

“The district will have crisis services available at North Albany on Monday for any student or school employee who needs support or would like to talk about the accident. Crisis services also will be available at elementary schools the students attended before moving up to middle school,” the release stated.

City School District of Albany Superintendent, Joseph Hochreiter, paid tribute to the victims in the release.

“Our hearts go out to the families of these students at this incredibly difficult time,” Hochreiter said, per the release. “This is a terrible tragedy and we are grieving as a school community.”

Albany Police Department didn’t have any additional information to add when contacted by PEOPLE.