Some good posts and can learn from them all.
It seems people will push the envelope until they or someone they knows falls through and then they become a hwole lot mor cautious.
I was swept under ice in a river while crossing with a snowmobile (current took me when snowmobile got stuck with skimmer and got off to push and got swept away by current between snowmobile and the skimmer. The water was only up to my kness but I remember how it felt to be swept under ice and thinking this was going to be the end when I saw a spot where ice ended and jammed my arms through the snow. My dad saw my arms and yanked me out and rolled me in snow to soak the water out and then we took off for the cabin to get me warrmed back up...
Years later working forestry i was crossing the Waskahigan River at -35 in a nice wide spot and using a stick to sound the ice but hit a snow covered patch right by shore (Thought it was shore) and got wet to my waist. I had 4k to go back to the ATV and another 16k on ATV to get to truck. I built a fire and radioed for help and my buddy came to help me.
It is not just the falling through ice that can be dangerous but the instant hypothermia after that that often is worst danger.
Going into water near 0 degrees is an awful shock to the body and that shock alone can kill.
I have had a few scares and I got one last year. We went on a lake well after christmas after drilling some test holes (24" of ice) and we drove on and found a good fishing spot we had used in past years and then as we were fishing we decided to wale around and saw a ridge in snow and we wandered over to take a look. As we got closer we realised it was a new spring and there was open water nearby.
After this I am now a coward when it comes to ice It look at it like a minefield... I am never the first one anymore...
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