Safe Ice?

[Joe Archer]

Have you ever fallen through the ice?
If so, tell us how?
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[Joe Archer]

I thought at this time of year with last ice approaching fast, this poll might serve as a good reminder.
I fell through about 10 years ago. It was during the January thaw and I was out in front of Brandenberg fishing the jam. The ice was still over a foot thick, but I was still being careful. As I was working my way north, I just happened to meet up with my teen-age nephew. I didn't know he was out there. As he walked up to me I warned him that "you have to stay away from the jam, I know the ice is thick but you can't trust it after a few days of warm weather and the rain we just had". I started walking north a good 25 yards east of the jam and told my nephew he would be fine if he stayed to my left. I walked about 20 yards further, hit a soft spot and went straight down! I was lucky to have good reflexes. As I was going down I threw myself forward and rolled onto the ice. I went in up to my waist. Funny thing is I was spudding as I walked.
Just remember; you can't be too careful.
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[roger23]

walking a well traveled path behind several others it was a pressure crack it let go with we on it and I was the lightest guy. also fell through a snow covered spearing hole. there have been several others but only one this year.

[y2ba]

in front of the trailer park next to beacons cove 3 yrs ago. luckily i was in less than 4ft of water..lesson learned-----> stay on top of the ice:evil:

[thos1971]

A few times. Worst was a couple years ago in Campau Bay. I was well inside of the big crack, but when I got to a point about 1/2 mile due South of Sunshine Point I stopped because I noticed water moving in an unoccupied hole everytime I stepped. Heard a crack as I was shooting straight down. There was atleast 12" of ice. Obviously those currents from the river can tear up the bottom of the ice. My buddy couldn't hear me yelling for help and luckily I had my shanty rope around my wrist and it stayed up on the ice. I was able to pull up with it.

Funny thing was on our way in we passed a couple young guys heading into the same area on a quad. Told them I just fell through and they didn't believe me (I was frozen solid and not wet), they accused us of finding a perch honey hole and trying to keep it to ourselves so they headed on out.

Still get pits in my stomach out on the ice now, probably gonna get an ice armor float suit for next year.

[Mark Sylvester]

I used to get my leg wet every time I went out as a kid with my old man.
We would go out of Leamington and without fail, one of my little red gollashes would find a hole from the previous fisherman. And I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! Well, the first time the ol' man took pity on me and we hiked it back to the car. If anyone can recall it was quite a haul going out of Leamington. And I'm talking about the early 60's here so nobody had a machine. I bet we would walk out 2-3 miles. Anyway like I said ...The ol' man took me back to the car the first time,left me in the car with the keys for heat, and he went back out! At that time icefishing was some thing you planned for all week, and my dad was not going to let a cold leg on my part ruin his day!!! So the next time we go out sure enough...I find another hole! I look at my Dad and he's got this look like..."Don't even think you're going back to the car this time" So we stayed out there till the burlap sack was full!!! And that my friends is how I learned to ice fish...Frozen leg sit on a bucket and wait for the bobber to move...and when the bobber went down I was told to run into the wind till the fish were out of the hole! I guess I was too young or too stupid to be able to bring up the fish by hand!!!
Sorry so long....But I think I'm missing my Dad right now...Oh well.

[Can't Touch This]

Yeah, on Kent Lake about, oh, maybe 3 or 4 years ago. It was very late in the season, like late march/early April. Anyways, we were ony about 4 or 5 inches of solid ice, the shore ice was going, but, it looked fine. That day it got up to 55 degrees and we were ice fishing in our t-shirts. Anyways, we were nailing them, and we saw pools of water form along the shore, and ducks and swans were swimming. Didn't really think about it because we were into the fish, finally at about 3 dad says it was time to go(now, there was about 3 inches). We are heading in, i am in front of my bro and dad, as i walk towards shore, i see open water around the reeds and the ice around it maybe a CM thick, still, it don't faze me. I make the turn to our little launch site, took one step, went right through, it shocked the crap out of me. Luckily it was only waist deep and i was about 20 feet from shore, my dad and bro were able to pace themselves before they fell. We waded the last 20 or so feet in, and made the mile long hike on land soaked from the waist down. Again, it was 55 degrees so we didn't even get cold.

Other than that, once i had a foot go through on Houghton through an old fishing hole.

[yellowbelly80]

when my dad and i used to fish when i was younger we fished the barricks alot its was toward last ice on the way in the ice was like a sponge it would move up and down as u walked i first step in a bigger than norm hole coverd in slush one leg went down my nutz smacked the ice :yikes: and i jump a mile in the air a little ways in i went in up to my waist the spud is what kept me up after that my lower extremdies were numb so it worked out it didnt do any damage i had a son 5 years later

[William H Bonney]

Someone remind me to stay away from roger23 on the ice.:lol:

[WALLEYEvision]

My brother and I helped rescue a guy who went through on Proud Lake several years back. He punched straight down and dislocated both shoulders as he used his forearms and armpits to prevent him from going all the way under. I always thought if you went through it would make a large hole, but his hole was almost form-fitting to his body. Wierd.

Anyway...the hardest part of the rescue was trying to keep everyone else away from the hole. His wife kept on walking right up to him as we were all spralled out on the ice trying to get him out.

[mwp]

I fell through one of those small lakes in addison oaks park about 10 years ago,It was mid febuary and i was catching some nice gills.On the way in i must have hit an air pocket or spring and went in up to my waist.I was able to pull myself out but froze my ars off on the way back.I was by myself and that plunge scared the bageezers out of me.I should have had someone with me!!