This happens every year when inexperienced fisherman wander onto the ice and start drilling holes. When the ice shifts there aren’t a lot of signs on the surface and once you’re in the water it becomes extemely difficutl, often impossible, to pull yourself out when you’re alone.
I almost lost a friend ice fishing in New Hampshire two years ago. He showed little respect when he ran down the bank and jumped onto the ice and fell straight through. Were it not for a long rope we carry with that has some weight on the end he never would’ve made it back out of the water.
I have two words for anyone that’s unsure of ice coverage in their area - "test holes". The $15 you spend buying a chisel could save your life. We chisel our way from the shoreline and check ice thickness and consistancy every 5-10 feet depending on conditions.
Even if you take every precaution in the world there’s always the chance you’re going to walk into a spring covered with hex ice or even worse walk into an ice spot where the ice has shifted to below the surface and what now covers the surface of the lake is a thin half inch layer of ice. I went under once when I was a kid and it’s a miracle I’m still here because I was alone and had ice skates on.
Be careful, be wary, bring ice rope connected ice picks that slide through the arms in your jacket and walk slowsly.
Good luck and happy fishing.
Nipps
