Some Regina Beach residents concerned over vehicle stuck in Last Mountain Lake

A white SUV has become the talk of the town in Regina Beach after falling through the ice at Last Mountain Lake around three weeks ago.

On March 19, the matter was brought to the attention of the office of Environment and Climate Change who was working with conservation officers from the province to investigate the situation.

Although this isn’t the first something like this has happened, it has some people worried about potential environmental impacts.

“Obviously we don’t want vehicles to be submerged in water bodies in the province,” Minister of Environment, Dustin Duncan said. “First and foremost though, we’re worried about personal safety and that’s why we do ensure that we put notices out very clearly to people who are accessing the lakes on the ice.”

The owner of TRK Transport and Recovery told Global News that a hold up with SGI has delayed the process of getting the SUV out of the lake.

While it’s the only company that does vehicle ice recovery in the province, the owner of the company also said this year has been exceptionally busy.

So far, he’s pulled 11 vehicles out of the water, which is triple the number from last year and the highest number he’s seen in the past four years.

Residents in the area said most people know to avoid driving on parts of the lake, something that some ice fishers from out of town aren’t informed of.

“All around the area here there’s been a lot of vehicles going in the lake,” ice fisher Tom Rafuse said. “Obviously you don’t want to drive around the point and the areas where it’s cracking.”

SGI said vehicles that fall through the ice are generally covered by insurance but recommends that drivers be aware of how thick the ice is and whether or not it will support the weight of a vehicle.

“Obviously losing a vehicle through the ice is a pretty significant event and generally the vehicles don’t recover from that,” Tyler McMurchy with SGI media relations said.

An official from the Minister of Environment’s office said a vehicle would have to be submerged for a long period of time before any measurable or tangible environmental impact could be determined.

On March 22, a ministry conservation officer and staff members from Environment and Climate Change Canada were at Regina Beach investigating the situation.

As far as consequences or charges are concerned, the ministry said incidents like this don’t often see charges applied and the investigation will determine if further action is warranted.