Boy, 11, dies in pond plunge after saving pal

FREEZING waters claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy Tuesday after he ran to the rescue of a friend who had plunged through the thin ice of a Queens pond.

Anthony Perez was hanging out with a 12-year-old boy at Strack Pond in Forest Park when his older friend walked too far out on the frozen-over water and fell in shortly before 4 p.m., police sources said.

Anthony, standing by the side of the pond, rushed in to pull his friend to safety. But then he couldn’t get back out of the frigid water, police sources said.

The older boy, who lives nearby, rushed to his apartment to get help, but Anthony was submerged for about a half-hour, police and FDNY sources said.

First responders arrived at Forest Park Drive and Woodhaven Blvd., four minutes after getting a 4:05 p.m. 911 call, said FDNY Deputy Chief George Healy.

Three cops and three firefighters rushed onto the pond to find Perez, the ice cracking apart under their feet, Healy said.

“They were in about chestdeep water, wading through the water. At some point the ice did firm up,” Healy said. “They had to physically with their hands break through the ice and chop the ice so they could get to the area they knew that the child would most likely be in, the opening in the ice.”

The rescuers found Anthony under a break in the ice, not breathing. Medics rushed him to Jamaica Medical Center in serious condition.

He died roughly two hours later, cops said.

Two of the firefighters were treated for hypothermia, Healy said.

Anthony was a smiling fixture in his neighborhood — just 1,000 feet from Strack Pond.

“He’s friendly with a lot of people. He’s not shy and he loves to help,” said Carmen Rivera, 51, who lives a floor below the boy’s family. “That’s Anthony. He’s a hero.”

Leonardo Coraci, 41, another neighbor, said he rushed to the park to help when he heard a commotion outside, but Anthony had already been pulled from the chilly water.

“It stinks. He’ll be in my prayers. It’s a shame,” Coraci said. “He always had his big smile. It’s a shame that something bad has to happen to this kid.”

The pond sits at the bottom of a hill, surrounded by trees, with a winding path leading to it. A bright red sign reads “Danger: Thin Ice” in English and Spanish.

Though city parks are open year round, parkgoers are prohibited from going onto bodies of water, Parks Department officials said.

“Our hearts go out to Anthony’s family and friends following today’s tragedy,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver.

The city places warning signs along all of the city’s lakes and ponds, and installs special ladders by the water’s edge in case of an emergency, authorities said.

“There are a lot of lakes around the city of New York. Especially to children, they might be enticing at this time of year,” Healy said Tuesday.“The ice is not safe. It’s not going to support your weight, and it can have tragic consequences.”