Article published Saturday, February 7, 2009
Fishermen trapped on Lake Erie

About 200 fishermen are trapped on Lake Erie because of cracks that developed in the ice when they were on the lake.

Rescue workers are preparing to retrieve the fishermen, who apparently used wooden pallets to create a bridge to get past a crack and further onto the lake. The ice shifted in the windy weather, causing the fishermen to be stranded between the water and the shore about 1,000 yards off the shore.

Authorities from Jerusalem Township and Lucas County are on the scene, which is at Crane Creek State Park in northern Ottawa County. No injuries have been reported.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090207/DEVELOPINGNEWS/902070251

Oh yeah this is related to ponds. I was thinking of going out there on a guided trip about now. I have ponds, so it's pond related right? That's one big pond out there. The piece of ice that is headed for Canada is 8 miles long.

Glad I didn't go!

I had a bad experience on the ice of my pond Saturday. My friend and I were ice fishing with about eight inches of good clear ice. I had on a big catfish that was taking awhile to land and he backed up to get his line out of the hole. He got about four feet from me and DISAPPEARED! It was about 12 feet deep where we were but he managed to get up on the ice and back to shore! I was dumbfounded, as I knew I was on good ice. I managed to gather up our gear and took him up to the house to get warm. As we were driving up there I said "I guess we are done fishing!" I am so grateful everything turned out so we could have a good laugh. We think that someone had drilled some holes behind us a few days before that were rotting through. 40 years of ice fishing and have never seen anything like that!

Glad to hear no one was hurt Martin. With this past weekends high temps, it looks like skating and ice fishing are done for the season here.

Holy smokers, Martin. That is one sick feeling. I got a couple of palpitations just reading it.
Thankful for your outcome to a near disaster.

Brettski and I have found going through the ice into water not over your head does a good job of getting and keeping the heart pumping.

I wasn't aware that Brettski was making spot-stupidity a yearly thing meaning I thought once was enough for him.

Falling through the ice while ice fishing is not fun! Gave me one of the scariest moments of my life for sure...

Cecil, I was planning a trip up to the lake too. The guide called on Thursday and said the fishing was great and that he had openings on Saturday. Thankfully, I was too busy to go.

Guy's, falling thru the ice is no fun, but when you have snowshoes on it really get's the heart rate up. Luckily there was only 3 ft. of water.
Ever since that incident about 18 years ago I've been overly careful (chicken), when I walk or snowmachine on lakes.

Somehow, I sense you feel yearly spot-stupidity on my part is entirely possible.

it's lonely being spot-stupid

At least you are with us to feel the loneliness.

I went through the ice and it was no fun but it wasn't that bad. If you know how to get out it's not that difficult. Not panicking and rolling out on to the ice where you came on is the key. (See the video link here somewhere)

BTW the media did the icefisherman on Lake Erie a disservice. Yes they were taking a chance but as usual they didn't tell the whole story and aren't that knowledgeable about what they are reporting on. (Anyone else notice whenever they report on something you know a lot about they always get it wrong?)

To hear them tell it the ice was melting because of the mild temps etc. Actually the ice sheet seperated due to a combination of an icebreaker to the west helping this sheet of ice pop loose and once the strong south winds took hold away she went. Many of the icefisherman with snowmobiles and quads got off on their own accord by heading east parallel to the shore and getting off that way. To hear the media report it they were all rescued by the Coast Guard. Bull!