Around 8 p.m. Sunday night, Tyler took his snowmobile out for a ride on Rice Lake.
“I got on the lake to the right, and I knew I had to go left, so I went off the main trail which was a big mistake and I hit some open water, didn’t see it until it was too late, and ended up swimming with the sled,” Tyler said.
He said he was about 90 metres offshore when he realized he was about to hit open water. Tyler, who has asked that his last name not be used, said his first instinct was to shut down his snowmobile and then mentally prepare himself for the icy impact.
“The thought that went through my head was, ‘This is going to be cold.’ But I managed to stay calm. I knew the ice was going to break right along the edge of the water,” he said.
Tyler said he knew how to pull himself up out of the water. He grew up around water and had seen YouTube videos of people going through the ice.
READ MORE: Haliburton OPP issue safety warning after vehicles break through ice
“I just knew I had to spread my weight out. I didn’t want to get right on my feet right away, ’cause obviously, you got a lot more weight in one small area. So I stayed on my belly until I got away from the water, and then I stood up,” Tyler said.
He said he feels lucky to be alive.
His story is similar to two incidents in Haliburton Highlands on Friday. OPP say eight people managed to get out of the water after snowmobiles and an ATV went through the ice on area lakes.
READ MORE: Extreme cold doesn’t mean all lakes are ready for snowmobiles, OPP warns
“I think the biggest mistake that people make being out on the ice is not planning ahead, not checking the conditions ahead of time, not checking the geographical area or being familiar with the bodies of water in which they are travelling on. Many times, people are entering into areas that people know are open water,” said Const. Cass Jackson from the Peterborough County OPP.
Police stress that “no ice is safe ice.”
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