The attempted rescue of a man who fell into an icy lake in California turned into chaos and terror on Christmas Day as a handful of helpers ended up following him into the frosty depths.
Amateur video posted on YouTube showed how the drama unfolded at Lake Jackson in Wrightwood, California.
A female onlooker says "That's seriously not even funny" as a person skids off the ice and into the lake, as people watching scream and call for help.
The first sledder slides into the lake as passersby scream for help
A passerby who goes to the man's rescue also falls in, quickly followed by a number of others.
Bystanders quickly realise how serious the situation is and people start calling for ropes, branches and urging others to dial 911.
Another person goes to his rescue..
But they end up in the late too
Rescuers throw ropes and rubber rings to the victims, who struggle to clamber out of the icy lake.
Fortunately no one was injured in the fall.
Micky Herman, the man who captured the film, told CBS Los Angeles that it was "hard to watch" the drama, the Daily Telegraph reported.