Wow, sad story. I haven't grown a big enough pair to give my ice a test. I always wonder about currents under ice chewing away where I cannot see.
BTW how does one test ice thickness without getting out on it? Do you chuck larger and larger rocks until you find that a 210 pound rock chucked to 40MPH doesn't go thorough? (j/k but still?)
Only thing I can think of is going out on skis or snowshoes to distribute weight when ice near the edge is at least 3 inches. I am still too chicken though. Unfortunately I cannot find any politicians in DC to test my ice.
