33 years ago, pair of Tarentum boys fell through the ice, never to be found

In Tarentum 33 years ago, rescue workers searched for weeks for two young boys who were believed to have fallen through the ice on the Allegheny River.

“The scenario was similar to this year's thick ice on the shores of the Allegheny River,” said Rich Heuser, chief of Eureka Fire Rescue EMS in Tarentum.

Heuser was one of the volunteers who searched for two friends, Gabriel Minarcin, 11, and John Dabkowski, 12, both of First Avenue in Tarentum, who went missing Jan. 14, 1982, and have never been found.

The police brought in bloodhounds that, independently, followed the scents of both boys, leading authorities to the shore of the Allegheny River in Tarentum. There they found two sets of small footprints leading to but not returning from the river.

The prints ended at open water about 25 feet from shore.

“The ice can be thick at the shore of the river and it can be very deceptive,” said Heuser.

“You see it one-dimensional and it looks no different than a sidewalk. But you don't see underneath the ice where the water is always in motion and eroding the ice.”

“And with an ice jam, the ice is already compromised and it certainly isn't suited to supporting people,” Heuser said.

Knowing the hazards of river ice all too well, Eureka has posted signs to dissuade anyone thinking about exploring the river ice.

The rescue group has been posting the signs “thin ice — no dice” along the Allegheny River when it starts to freeze during the past decade.

Mary Ann Thomas is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-226-4691 or mthomas@tribweb.com.