An 82-year-old snowmobiler from Northern Ontario has died after the senior’s sled went through the ice on Lake Temagami, provincial police say.
Members of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), along with officers from the Bear Island Police Service, responded to reports of a missing snowmobiler late in the afternoon on Jan. 6 after the rider failed to return home.
OPP Aviation Services, OPP Northeast Emergency Response Team, and OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit aided in the search, police said in a press release.
The Temagami resident was located deceased on Jan. 7.
Police said the investigation into the senior’s death is currently being conducted under the direction of the Ontario coroner’s office.
The 82-year-old is not the first person in Ontario to die after falling through the ice this winter.
Another person has been found deceased, and the search for a second person continues after the pair was observed going through the ice in Temiskaming Shores on Dec. 29, police said in a Jan. 3 press release.
The Temiskaming OPP received a call for assistance at 3 p.m. after reports of two people going through the ice at Pete’s Dam Park.
The Temiskaming OPP, OPP North East Emergency Response Team, and the OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit began the search for the two individuals with help from the Temiskaming Shores Fire Department and the Temiskaming Emergency Medical Services.
The search remains underway for the second person, police said.
Police have not released the names or genders of the victims in either case.
“OPP reminds anglers and outdoor enthusiasts to carefully evaluate ice conditions before heading out onto the ice as conditions can change rapidly,” police said.
Snowmobiling and ice accidents account for approximately 35 percent of drownings in Canada, according to the Lifesaving Society.
“If you must venture onto the ice, wear a thermal protection buoyant suit to increase your chances of survival if you fall through,” the society said in a list of tips on its website. “If you do not have one, wear a lifejacket/PFD over an ordinary snowmobile suit or layered winter clothing.”
The minimum ice thickness for a single person to stay safe on the ice is four inches or 10 centimetres, according to the Lifesaving Society. For a snowmobile, five inches or 12 centimetres is required, while a car needs eight to 12 inches or 20 to 30 centimetres of thickness to be safe. A full-size pickup truck requires 12 to 15 inches or 30 to 38 centimetres of thickness.
The society also cautions anyone venturing onto the ice to measure it in more than one spot and to stay alert for weaknesses.
“No ice is without risk,” the society said. “The quality and thickness of ice can change very quickly and its appearance can be misleading.”
