SOUTH Stormont, Ontario – On Jan. 17, 2017 at 5:11 p.m. Stormont Dundas and Glengarry (SD&G) Ontario Provincial Police responded to a report of a vehicle that had gone through the ice with a male on board near County Road 2 at Hoople Creek, Ingleside in the St. Lawrence River.
Investigation revealed that the 74 year-old male was travelling on the ice and became stuck in the icy waters. A 20 year old male quickly responded as he witnessed the vehicle go through and removed the driver from the vehicle and safely to shore. The male driver was not injured during the ordeal. The vehicle was removed the next day. The SD&G OPP want to remind citizens to take precautions on our waterways during the winter months due to the fluctuating temperatures.
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Don’t trust the ice—always be aware of the thickness and quality of ice to reduce risk of breaking through, Where ice is checked for thickness, obey posted signs on when and where ice surface is acceptable for activities.
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Avoid any open holes in lakes and rivers.
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Avoid traveling on any ice in non-daylight hours.
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Be aware of currents and/or tides as these locations cannot be trusted to have consistent ice thickness.
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Check the ice thickness Many ice fishers will drive a motor vehicle, snowmobile or ATV to their fishing hut. No activity should be carried out on ice less than 15cm thick. In the presence of snow on ice, the minimum thickness would need to be doubled to 30cm.
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Wear a flotation device and cold protection suit, even if you’re fishing from shore or on thick ice.
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Carry rescue equipment : This includes ice picks, a rope, a cell phone (in a waterproof container) and a first aid kit. Other safety equipment to be considered includes: flashlight, waterproof matches/lighter, tool kit, candles and survival blanket.
