A Rothesay, N.B. man is sharing his story of falling through ice as a reminder of the potential dangers when out on frozen rivers, lakes or ponds and how the great Canadian hockey stick could save your life. This comes as the area has been basking in temperatures well above normal.
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James Simonds and his friend, Steve Palmer, were skating around Long Island on the Kennebecasis River when he got the shock of a lifetime.
“It just went from perfectly good ice to a thin sheen of ice and I just went right straight into the water,” Simonds said.
Treading water with skates on, Simonds and his friend used their hockey sticks to pull him out.
“He turned the stick blade up towards me, like close to where I was in the water, and I basically put my stick perpendicular and hooked it on to his stick,” Simonds explained. “That’s how we kind of got the connection to pull me up.”
He said they had purposely brought their sticks with them for safety.
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Simonds’ near miss drives home the importance of safety, especially in waterways popular for winter recreation, according to the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department.
Platoon chief Mike Boyle said people should be aware and be prepared before heading out.
“It’s a good idea to know the ice that you’re heading out on,” Boyle said. “Different bodies of water may have different characteristics”.
There are also simple things you should have with you, Boyle said.
“You can get what’s called ice picks,” he said. “You just basically hold them in your hand and you put it into the ice and you’re able to pull yourself out”.
Simonds hopes his story will make people put safety top of mind when on the ice.
“You have to be careful, you have to prepare for the worst and I’m an example anything can happen.”
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