Chain lake tragedy
 

Couldn't get your link to work (might be my browser) but here's one that worked for me:

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/04/12...nt-near-nanton

That's a terrible thing to happen, thoughts go out to the family.

yeah, your link doesnt work

Its April. Stay off the ice for godsakes.:snapoutofit:

I remember I posted at freeze-up about dangers of ice and how some people could say that if they fell in that family members could take solace in how "They died doing what they loved"....

Wonder if family members are taking solace in that now....

Reality is that drowning is a horrible death.

The worst part is it is preventable so easily....

This may make me sound cold hearted but in reality all I can think about is the needless pain and suffering the family and friends are suffering.

Children through ice is a tragedy. Adult through ice is stupidity.

I am left to wonder if your father or grand father went through the ice if you would call him stupid.

Who in the hell goes ice fishing in Southern Alberta in the middle of April? Makes me wonder if he may have had dimentia, or something else going on to make such an obviously bad decision.

How many people need to die for everyone to wake up about ice safety? I just posted last week about the ice conditions and as already said especially southern alberta ice conditons gotta be horrible..... I am surpirsed that southern alberta ice still exists to be honest. Sometimes you need to wonder what people are thinking when they go on the ice at this time of year so casually. Its not worth it to risk your life to get out that one last time ice fishing. Wait for ice off which will be in a few weeks...

thanks iliketrout for posting a working link

and my heart goes out the family of the elderly gentleman poor decision or not. i can especially feel for the family that lost their little girl having experienced something similar this summer with my son falling in a pond, luckily my wife is a hero and found him in time and was able to bring him back through cpr. If it wasn't for her i wouldn't have my little fishing buddy today. First aid training should be a priority for every parent. Water is a lot of fun but really needs to be respected frozen or not.

x2

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sad story... ya really never know. he might have been in the exact same spot a couple days ago and it could have been fine, its that time of year. Thoughts are with his family.

Seriously?? Did you just say you never really know? Please explain to me how the odds were not stacked against this fellow by venturing out on a southern Alberta lake two weeks into April. WOW. :snapoutofit:

Very sad and nothing changes the fact that it is a terrible tragedy but as mentioned it's mid April of a very mild spring... The fact that the ice on Chain cant support someone is much less surprising to me then the fact someone would walk across it. I personally don't consider ice fishing a dangerous sport as long as "common sense" is used... Less dangerous then other winter activities like skiing or snowmobiling in my opinion. However, it's stories like this is why my wife and/or mom get so worried about me when I go and say "never go ice fishing by yourself".

not sure if you only read the first 6 words of my post of not, but it seems pretty self explanitory to me... i'll explain.


you never really know.... IF THE ICE HAS CHANGED OVERNIGHT

not to mention the part i mentioned - 'its that time of year..'



its too bad that 1:3 posts on this thread are met with ignorance.

So sad
 

The guy was 74 years old I'm sure his age had something to do with the decision to go on the ice in the second week of Aprilnin southern Alberta

It is indeed a tragedy. One death that is preventable given certain "common sense" are followed. However, accidents do happen, and happen quickly; common sense don't always prevent accidents.

I was out at Chain Lakes on Monday, drove out from Grotto, hoping to get into some early season fishing. Unlike Grotto, Gap Lake was about 50% covered, and Chain Lakes was only open in a couple of spots near shore. The main access from the PP was still solidly covered. One has to wonder what led the older gentleman to take the chance at this time of the year. Closer inspection of the ice on Monday was that the surface had a dusting of snow, and then 2 -3 inches of black ice. However, the bottom part was all opaque, indicating that it was weakening fast. Given the topology of the lake, and the frequent strong wind in the area, I'd chance to say that the ice destabilization is not uniform, the thickness could vary greatly within very short distance apart.

I cannot come close to imagining what his family is going through right now, but just hope that their fond memories of him lives on.

Wow.
Classy.
Obviously it was a poor choice.
Just like the one you made to rub someones nose in it.

X 2....No one on this forum knows what really happened...All we know is that this elderly gentleman is gone and leaves his family and friends to grieve...

If you see someone who should know better going on ice at this time of year and know it is unsafe... it is called stupidity....

How does that change when they go on ice at this time of year and falls through and dies?...

How does that change if it is a family member of mine?

It does not for me... if it was my family member I would probably call him f'n stupid in all three cases!....

i calls it as I sees it....

That being said the tragedy is in pain and suffering of family.

When children who do not know any better fall through ice it just tears my heart apart. It is my nightmare as a parent to think about and yet i know how fast kids can get out of sight or supervision especially in this time of year when weather is nice and they want to get away from being cooped up most of the winter...

I hold myself to same standard....

Once when I was upside down on a quad underwater... A thought went through my head... "Now that was stupid!"....

Or when I was on the ground with a whole bunch of broken ribs.. same thought...

A fool learns from his own mistakes... A wise man learns from other people foolish mistakes...

I also admit there may be other extenuating factors such as dementia etc. but then there are a whole slew of other questions that could be asked.

You called it as you saw it for sure. You called yourself a fool and I will agree with that whole heartedly as will others I am sure.

Only a fool would say if my father fell through the ice I would call him studpid.

Forest Gump stupid is as stupid does.

nekred,

there are people on this board that knew the guy.

Your public posts are displaying a massive lack of respectand information about the event.

Shut the hell up, respect your elders and the family /friends of the deceased.....

Dont go firing off comments like this at this time.

I was just going to write the same thing,,, AO is not a regular forum, most people either know eachother or will likely bump into someone who uses the forums while fishing. Chances are above good that more than a few members on AO know the fellow.

Maybe time your response to the situation a little better. after opening this thread yesterday, I almost thought about signing out of AO for good,,,

I respect the family and wishes....

Sorry if I have offended anyone by speaking my mind.

I did post because last fall people were bragging on here about the thin ice they had been on to go fishing and I spoke then of the outcome that has been unfortunately realised now by others.

An adult friend of mine drowned while skating on a pond against many peoples advice. Another family friend drowned at 12 years old in a dugout while swimming (dove in and got tangled in bottom mud and weeds)

So I am sensitive when it comes to this type of tragedy I know how family and friends suffer and my goal in posting is to potentially avert similar events through awareness.

I realise I am not fully aware of all the circumstances of this event other than what is seen in media.

The truest tragedy is the suffering that family and friends undergo in these circumstances.

Thus I send my sincerest condolences and sympathy to family and friends.

that is terrible to here about yet sadly it happens so often too

someone on this forum posted last saturday that there was still 14-15 inches of good ice 100-150 yard out, i drove down sunday , got there turned around and went home. i hope he wasn't a forum member going off of bad advice.

Yup like you said. "its that time of year" The time of year anyone with half a brain cell shouldn't be on the ice. I'd like to see when a rescue effort has to be made and tie up these resources that a survivor gets fined for this BS. Unfortunately he paid with his life. Next year their will be another incident of stupidity mark my words.

Do either of you ass-hats know the circumstances surrounding what happened? Doubt it, so maybe show come class and keep your 'stupidity' comments to yourself.

Should he have been out there? Maybe, maybe not. I haven't been out to Chain Lakes, so I'm not at liberty to say, and I would venture a guess some of you are in the same situation. How people can be so judgmental, without knowing actual facts about the situation, is just beyond my comprehension...

There is some good posts on here, and some un needed negativity. :fighting0074:

Prayers to the friends and family of the deceased.

Thread closed.