Sask. ice accidents act as sobering reminder to remain vigilant

REGINA – The search continues for a man who’s been missing for more than two weeks and is believed to have fallen through some ice in northern Saskatchewan.

Billy Taylor was last seen leaving Lac La Ronge on his snowmobile on Dec. 17, 2015.

On Thursday, search dogs were brought in to track the 36-year-old’s scent, but based on markings near thin ice rescuers fear he and his snowmobile broke through.

A troubling number of similar ice accidents have been happening across the province in recent weeks.

In late December, a dog died after breaking through the ice on a river in Saskatoon.

Then on Saturday, a fishermen’s truck broke through ice on Last Mountain Lake, and it took several days and lots of hard work to remove it.

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Walter Martin is a sales representative at Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters in Regina and said the ice is not always as thick as it appears.

“We recommend four inch thickness for people to go on the ice for walking or ice skating. Four to six inches for use with snowmobiles and then eight to 12 for cars or light trucks,” he explained.

Martin said the unusually warm winter means not all bodies of water in Saskatchewan are as solid as they typically would be this time of year.

So, if you are heading out to enjoy some Canadian winter pastimes like ice fishing or a game of pond hockey, either drill through the ice to check the thickness yourself or contact authorities who monitor levels.

Despite efforts accidents still do happen and Martin recommends bringing along some equipment that can help if you end up in a tricky situation.

“One option you can have with you is ice picks which you can use to dig into the ice and then pull yourself out while you’re kicking with your legs,” he explained. “Some jackets come equipped with those even.”