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<P>By: <FONT color=red>Bernie Schnieders</FONT>
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<P><FONT size=+2>I'</FONT>ve always considered myself to be safe and sensible, but I've broken through the ice on several occasions, around beaver dams on creeks and on a spring-fed lake. They were life-threatening, scary, unpleasant experiences, and I was fortunate to come away from them simply wet and cold.
<P>Some anglers have not been so lucky. Each year, sadly, I read about lives lost while snowmobiling and ice fishing on frozen lakes and rivers. According to The Lifesaving Society, Canada's Lifeguarding Experts, there were 22 ice-related deaths in Ontario in 1998, four of them related to ice fishing, and 56 per cent of them involved snowmobiling. According to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, drowning is the number-one cause of death in snowmobile fatalities.
<P>Ice is never 100 per cent safe, but you can stay out of trouble if you understand the body of water and the ice conditions you're fishing on. Never assume ice is a uniform thickness and strength. Right after freeze-up, ice in the middle of a lake, especially a deep one, is thinner than near shore. As well, ice on rivers, rivermouths, and lake narrows can vary dramatically, due to current, snow cover (insulates and prevents freezing), springs, shoals, and other influences. Numerous thaws and refreezes, wind, and frequent and repetitive loading by vehicles can also weaken ice and create dangerous situations. As well, in late winter when sunlight becomes stronger, ice starts to honeycomb and become dangerously soft and weak. Although it might appear thick enough to venture out on, use extreme caution. No matter what the time of winter, I check the condition and thickness of ice frequently by using an auger or chisel, especially before venturing out on a new lake.
<P>I love to fish for first-ice walleye. While the bite can be hot, it commonly means going out on 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of new ice. Our group keeps a good distance between anglers, either walking or on snowmachines, and we always have a rope readily available. Even though the lake we fish is relatively shallow and has little current, I still don't like to take chances.
<P>So, I invested in a Mustang Ice Rider flotation suit. In previous years, I wore a floater coat (with hood and hypothermia protecting beavertail), and put life jackets on my children while they were out on the ice. Protection against drowning can vary from simple life jackets or vests, which offer little protection against hypothermia, to floater coats and snowmobile-style flotation suits, and finally to full-blown, one-piece survival suits. Survival suits can include neoprene hoods, feet and wrist seals, and safety harnesses. They offer the ultimate in buoyancy and protection from hypothermia. Companies such as Mustang, Buoy-O-Boy, and Stearns offer a wide variety of products ranging in price from $25 to $500.
<P>The Lifesaving Society recommends wearing a buoyant snowmobile suit when you're on the ice. It helped save my friend John Scott's life. He was ice fishing on Lac des Mille Lac and broke through at a spring hole over more than seven feet (2.1 m) of water. His Ice Rider suit bobbed him back up like a cork, and he quickly pulled himself out of the water. Only his boots and lower legs got wet, and John still managed to fish for the rest of the day. I've listened to snowmobilers and ice anglers explain that they don't wear flotation suits because they think they're stiff, not warm enough, and too expensive. A decade ago, I had similar thoughts. Back then, I used to wear a lot of clothing layers under a big parka and wool pants. This type of clothing or a typical snowmobile suit saturated with water can add more than 50 pounds (22.7 kg) of dead weight -- the key words being "dead weight," if you break through the ice.
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<CENTER><FONT color=#666666><SMALL></SMALL></FONT></CENTER></TD></TR></TABLE>A modern flotation suit is warm and sheds water. I prefer a flotation suit that's slightly oversized, so I can add extra layers of clothing, such as fleece, long underwear, and such underneath on really cold days. Modern flotation suits are also more flexible than older styles, but I still prefer a two-piece suit because it's easier to get on and off, as well as its added mobility.
<P>Snowmobile-style flotation suits cost $300 to $500, but that's a small price to pay for safety if you do a lot of ice fishing, especially if you travel on a snowmachine. Ice anglers not only risk drowning, but death from hypothermia. Flotation suits provide various degrees of protection from this. Any flotation clothing, however, is better than none. Some experts recommend at least wearing a life jacket when ice fishing, except while driving in an enclosed vehicle. A life jacket might restrict and hamper escape if the vehicle breaks through the ice.
<P>Many experts recommend that you refrain from even driving heavy vehicles on ice. Tim Smalley, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, says that of the 117 ice fatalities that occurred since 1976 in that state, 68 per cent involved a vehicle. Ontario statistics were unavailable. Some experts suggest that if you do drive a vehicle on ice, keep the windows rolled down, seatbelts unbuckled, and the doors ajar or open, to allow for a quicker escape in case of a break-through. If possible, don't drive on ice at night or during reduced visibility, such as snowstorms. And don't park near cracks or pressure ridges, which often represent the boundaries of moving plates of ice.
<P>Use extreme caution when crossing cracks. Cross at a level, sealed, or tight contact. First, always stop on solid ice well short of a crack and walk over to assess its condition. If you have passengers, have them disembark and walk across the crack, if it's deemed safe, while you drive slowly and carefully over it. Driving fast over ice can set up a "wave" and cause the ice to crack ahead of the vehicle.
<P>A set of ice picks or awls with a string attached and run through your suit or hung around your neck can assist pulling yourself to safety. You can buy ice picks at sporting-goods stores or make them at home by tying or taping a cord onto wooden screwdrivers or strong nails imbedded in short pieces of dowel. I even made a set from old skipping-rope handles by drilling holes through them, placing 3-inch nails for picks, and taping them in place. To avoid accidental stabbing, join picks by slidding the nails into holes drilled into the opposite stick. Some commercial models, such as My Second Chance, come in handy protective holders that strap onto your upper arms, within easy reach even if you fall through the ice.
<P>If you do fall through, don't panic. This is where a set of ice picks comes in handy. A flotation suit, of course, further increases your chances of getting out of the water. Try to stay flat and afloat and pull yourself back out onto the ice in the direction from which you came. Place your arms and hands up on the ice and kick with your feet. If the ice breaks, continue in the same direction while trying to pull yourself up. Repeat the process until you are lying flat on the ice. Don't stand up; roll away from danger.
<P>If a companion falls in, don't run up to the hole. Use a rope (made of clothing in a pinch), sled, skis, auger handle, booster cables, human chain, or anything you can extend to the victim.
<P>Time is of the essence to avoid hypothermia. Once out of the water, seek warmth and medical attention if required. The real secret to enjoying winter fishing safely is to always use common sense on the ice. And, "When in doubt, don't go out!" The fish will still be there when the ice is safe again. <BR><BR>
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<P><B><FONT size=+2>Recommended minimum ice thickness for loads on sound ice</FONT> </B></CENTER>
<P>This table for hard clear ice is conservative, but still should be used only as a guideline. Ice thickness alone is not always an accurate measure of its strength. Also watch the weather and wind on partially frozen waterbodies. I've ice fished on bays of Lake Superior where a foot of solid ice was present one day, only to be totally removed by wind during the night. Coming back to open water the next day was an eye-opener. Constantly assess ice and weather conditions each time you go fishing.
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<P><B><FONT size=+2>Hypothermia</FONT> </B></CENTER>
<P>It's been called the silent killer. Immersion in cold water and overexposure to cold, wet, and windy conditions can cause hypothermia, which is a serious cooling of the body core. Symptoms can include shivering, flushed skin even turning blue, slurred speech, mental confusion, poor co-ordination, and stiff muscles, which can lead to unconsciousness and heart failure. In addition, a potentially fatal condition called "after drop" can occur when cold blood from the extremities starts to circulate again. Seek medical attention for a hypothermia victim as soon as possible.
<P>If you have to deal with mild to moderate hypothermia, there are several steps. Reduce heat loss by getting dry clothing or additional dry clothing, seeking shelter (ice hut, car), or trying to increase physical activity. Add fuel and fluids, such as hot liquids, sugars, carbohydrates, and proteins (avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco). Add heat from a fire or other external source, such as a sleeping bag or body-to-body contact with another </P></TD></TR></TABLE></P></TD></TR></TABLE></CENTER> |
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