Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.
Sunday just after 4:00pm a member of the North Bay Detachment of the OPP responded to an incident in which a truck had partially gone through the ice on Lake Nipissing. The investigation reveals that the truck was attempting to cross a pressure crack near an island and went through the ice. A tow truck was used to tow the vehicle to safety.
Every year emergency services respond to vehicles that have broken through the ice. Drivers of snowmobiles, passenger vehicles and all-terrain vehicles that travel on ice for recreational purposes have a responsibility to ensure that the ice can support the weight of the vehicle being used.
Ice safety and weight-bearing properties of ice can be affected by many factors, including thickness, water currents, the age of the ice, pressure cracks, snow cover and weather changes. Ice conditions can change dramatically from one bay or lake to the next.
The OPP reminds the public that the recent warm weather is changing the load bearing capabilities quickly on our local waterways and in some cases open water has already been observed. No ice is safe, use extreme caution when venturing out on our lakes.