Is The Ice Safe

Are You Safe

I was out walking the other day and saw someone out on the ice on Lake Chapman. The lake is near the park I walk my dog in so we see its beauty every morning. When the sun hits it just right it’s mesmerizing. Look at the above photo, you'll see I'm right. I’m sure Ernie doesn’t appreciate the view, but I do. He is too busy sniffing. 

Not Enough Ice

It is November in Wisconsin so there is some ice on the lake. But it’s been warmer than normal the past few days. As I walked, I caught out of the corner of my eye a guy standing by the shore, to my utter horror he ventured out on the ice. I thought to myself, he won't go far because there isn't enough ice. Surely, he knows this. No, he doesn't as he continues to walk out further. Watching this person walk the ice is what I did my entire walk. I watched him go out on the ice from shore. In my head I thought, “this guy has a death wish”. Why would you do that? There were geese nearby some of them sitting in open water and here he is coming quite close to them. My anxiety went up a notch and I got my phone out. Not only to take a photo but to call 911 when he went through the ice. I kept waiting for it. He went back to shore a couple times only to venture out further the second and third time. He was bending over looking at the ice. I am not sure what he was looking at. Maybe the water was running right beneath him. A couple of times I yelled out to him, “get off the ice”. Either he didn’t hear or decided he’d pay no attention to me. Because he stayed on the ice. 

He Made It

Normally I walk for an hour but this day I had an appointment, so we shortened our walk. As Ernie and I headed back to the park the iceman also started back to shore. His vehicle was parked there, he got in and drove off. It is amazing to me he didn’t fall through. There was no way I thought that ice would hold him. 

It Makes Me Wonder

So, then I wondered why he would take that chance? Does he not care about his life? Does he want to ice fish that badly? If he had fallen through, could they have saved him. I would have called 911 hopefully hypothermia hadn’t set in by the time they arrived. They have life saving measures so his life may have been saved. He was in the middle of the lake though. I’d like to sit down with him and ask him his reasoning for walking on the ice. But I do not know who he was. If you ask me, he doesn’t have the brains he was born with. But that’s just my opinion.

Unsafe Ice

People die out on the ice every year, whether ice fishing, snowmobiling, whatever they choose to do. It’s a troubling statistic because it is avoidable. Just don’t go out on the ice. It seems an easy choice to me. Do you value your life? If the answer is no, then go out on the ice. Take your chances, see what happens. 

Not Me

You will not see me out on the ice, it’s hard enough for me to get up and walk Ernie in the wintertime. I hate the cold and to die under the ice seems as if it would be the worlds greatest torture. Can you imagine? People have many layers of clothing on when they ice fish, which drags you down under the water faster. It must be pitch black under the ice. I cannot imagine any greater terror. Well, I can but now is not the time for it. 

Hypothermia sets in in minutes. You do not have a chance. By the time rescuers get to you it’s too late. 

I’ve lived here in Stanley WI for over ten years. I’ve never seen anyone fall through the ice on Lake Chapman. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. It just means I don’t know about it. 

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Stay safe everyone and stay off the ice.