CALGARY -- Lethbridge police are warning the public about the dangers of thin ice in the unseasonably warm weather following a close call at a local lake.

Officials say they were called, along with members of the Lethbridge Fire Department, to an incident where a 12-year-old boy had fallen through the ice at a local lake at Legacy Regional Park on Friday.

When emergency crews arrived at the scene, they quickly discovered that the individual's four friends had come up with an innovative way to conduct a rescue.

"(They) were able to tie their shirts together to use as a rope and drag the person out of the water," police wrote in a release.

The youth was treated at the scene by EMS but, luckily, was not seriously injured. He was reunited with his family a short time later.

In response to the incident, police are advising members of the public to steer clear of local ponds and lakes because recent warm weather conditions in Lethbridge and area has made the ice unsafe to walk on.

On Saturday, Lethbridge authorities were later on scene at the park where the incident took place, conduction ice safety exercises.

Mike Humphrey, a member of the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, says it's perfect conditions to run their training.

"This time of year the ice is quite brittle and it's a great time to practice in case a pet or, heaven forbid, a person goes through the ice."