Atkinson woman drowns after falling through ice

Emer Mezetti, 56, of Atkinson, drowned after falling through the ice at Big Island Pond in Hampstead on Jan. 11. Courtesy photo
HAMPSTEAD – The body of 56-year-old Atkinson resident Emer Mezetti was recovered on the morning of Jan. 12 after she fell through the ice and drowned at Big Island Pond.
According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, authorities responded to Chase Island Road in Atkinson at 6:36 p.m. on Jan. 11 after receiving reports of someone screaming for help. However, the initial search efforts were not successful.
The search resumed at 9:15 a.m the following day. Within 18 minutes, divers found Mezzetti’s body in 16 feet of water about 30 yards offshore from Governors Island.
Fish and Game Lt. Adam Cheney said Mezzetti had walked over hidden springs which are known to weaken ice.
New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers were assisted by the State Police Marine Patrol, the Salem Fire Department, the Hampstead Fire and Police Departments, the Atkinson Fire and Police Department, the Derry Fire and Police Departments, the Plaistow Fire Department and Southern New Hampshire Hazmat.
According to her obituary, Mezzetti was born in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in Newton, Mass. She was known for her “adventurous spirit” with a particular passion for kayaking, hiking and swimming. Mezzetti was employed by the city of Lowell, Mass. as the payroll supervisor in the Auditor’s Office.
Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to contact Marine Patrol Sgt. Nicholas Haroutunian at 603-227-2112 or at Nicholas.M.Haroutunian@DOS.NH.GOV.
According to the National Center for Cold Water Safety, once a person is exposed to water that is below 32 degrees, they will become incapacitated in 30 minutes or less. At that point, self-rescue is no longer possible and drowning is almost always inevitable.
Big Island Pond has an average depth of 34 feet and reaches its maximum depth of 70 feet off the southern end of Governors Island. It covers 532 acres in Atkinson, Hampstead and Derry.
- Conservation officers with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department at Big Island Pond on Jan. 12 where Emer Mezetti, 56, of Atkinson, had fallen through the ice and drowned. Courtesy photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS
- Emer Mezetti, 56, of Atkinson, drowned after falling through the ice at Big Island Pond in Hampstead on Jan. 11. Courtesy photo