Winter - Water Rescue News

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http://www.ctnow.com/news/custom/new...dlines-newsat3

Two snowmobilers die after falling into Kezar Lake

Associated Press

January 7 2003

LOVELL, Maine -- Two Connecticut snowmobilers were killed Tuesday when their machines plunged through thin ice on Kezar Lake, authorities said.

Two other men in the group were rescued and were listed in stable condition, said Mark Latti, spokesman for the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The dead were identified as Eric Johnson, 29, of Manchester, Conn., and Reno Caron, 49, of Enfield, Conn.

Shawn Judge, 29, of Atkinson, N.H., and Keith McNulty, 28, of Groveland, Mass., were being treated at Bridgton Hospital.

The accident happened shortly before 2 p.m. along the western shore of the lake near an area called the Frontier Camp.

Dave Comeau, a caretaker at the camp, heard the men screaming, got in a boat and was able to rescue one of them, Latti said.

Comeau's wife, Jolene, called 911, and Fryeburg Rescue arrived a short time later with an airboat.

The four men were transported to hospitals in Bridgton and North Conway, N.H., where Johnson and Caron were pronounced dead.

Latti said the four men were vacationing in the area and had rented their snowmobiles in Fryeburg, where they were staying. They had been snowmobiling in the Bethel area and were returning to Fryeburg when they went onto the lake.

The men were about 500 to 600 yards from shore at the widest section of the lake when their sleds broke through the water. There was only an inch and a half of slush-covered ice in that area, Latti said, and some parts of the lake had open water.

Salvage crews will return to the area Wednesday to try to recover the snowmobiles from the 100-foot-deep water.

The two fatalities raised the number of snowmobiling deaths in Maine this season to six, or two more than at this time last year.

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http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/2425409p-2474725c.html

OUT OF A JAM

January 7, 2003

CUTLINE: Overflow caused by an ice jam on the Tanana River continued to slosh down the Old Richardson Highway about 35 miles southeast of Fairbanks on Monday, stranding about 30 families in Salcha and filling the roadway with freezing water.

Temperatures were expected to fall to 40 below Monday night. Such cold could freeze the overflow, allowing highway crews to build an ice road into Salcha by Wednesday, highway officials said.

Rob Weathers and Dennis Price of Salcha Rescue used Price's airboat, above, Sunday to travel up the Old Richardson Highway and check on stranded residents. Bev Lucas, right, guides her dog MacKenzie off Price's airboat Sunday. Price crossed the flooded Pile Driver Slough to rescue the dog. Lucas and her family were evacuated Saturday but had to leave their dog behind.

Water began overflowing Piledriver Slough in late December after a warm fall delayed freezeup on the Tanana River, and some areas iced up earlier than others. An ice jam formed, and water began backing up. Story, B-3

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http://www.dailyherald.com/cook/main...?intID=3763115

Snowmobiler dies in freak accident on icy lake

By Lee Filas
Daily Herald Staff Writer
January 10, 2003

Fox Lake, IL - A 26-year-old Round Lake Beach man died early Thursday morning after falling through the ice on Pistakee Lake outside Fox Lake while snowmobiling. Fire authorities say Thomas J. Sieckowski, 26, of Round Lake Beach, hit the ice hard when entering the water, decapitating him. The accident occurred after Sieckowski left Famous Freddie's Roadhouse restaurant and bar in Fox Lake on his snowmobile just after 2 a.m. with a friend, said Lake County sheriff Lt. Gary Govekar.

The two were heading west across Pistakee at a high rate of speed when the ice gave way under Sieckowski's snowmobile, plunging him into the murky water, Govekar said. His companion, a 27-year-old Fox Lake man, didn't notice Sieckowski plunge into the water and kept driving across the semi-frozen lake to their destination of Cedar Point Island. The ice had been thawing recently, said Fox Lake fire officials, due to a week of above freezing temperatures. The Fox Lake man turned to look for Sieckowski after five minutes of riding across the frozen surface when he realized Sieckowski was missing."He went back to search but couldn't find (Sieckowski)," Govekar said. "After about an hour, he went back to shore and phoned 911.

"A Fox Lake fire crew was dispatched to the scene at 3:06 a.m. and was joined in the search by the Wonder Lake fire department with an airboat and a search light from the Flight For Life helicopter, Govekar said.

The snowmobile was located under 5 feet of water in Pistakee Lake at 4:25 a.m., Govekar added. "The ice was only 3 inches thick in that area and couldn't support the weight of the snowmobile," Govekar said. Sieckowski was pronounced dead at 4:30 a.m. at the scene by the Lake County coroner's office, Coroner Barbara Richardson said. The cause of death was listed as extreme traumatic head injury. Govekar added that alcohol may have played a part in the accident, but he won't know for sure until toxicology tests are conducted by the coroner's office. No citations have been issued in the accident.

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http://www.zwire.com/site/PollAnswer...11925&vote=yes

Chetek man drowns under Long Bridge
January 08, 2003

A 34-year-old Chetek man died in a snowmobile accident Friday, Jan. 3, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
Max Davis, 34, and Steven Baumann, 35, were travelling southeast on Prairie Lake on snowmobiles and crossed under the Long Bridge onto Chetek Lake.
Baumann, the rider in the lead, successfully passed under the bridge, drove for about 1,000 yards and turned to check on the progress of Davis. Baumann could not locate Davis and investigated under the bridge where he observed an area of open water and a snowmobile helmet floating.
Baumann travelled a short distance to his residence at 520 1st St. and called 9-1-1.
The Chetek Fire Department Ice Rescue Unit arrived on the scene, along with the Chetek Police Department and deputies from the Barron County Sheriff's Department.
Davis was recovered from 14 feet of water under the bridge, after being submerged for approximately 40 minutes. Chetek Fire District captain Joe Atwood said Davis' body was lying beside the snowmobile directly beneath the hole of open water. Davis' core body temperature was 96 degrees when he was pulled from the water, Atwood said.
Efforts by Chetek Emergency Medical Technicians and Lakeview Medical Center to revive Davis were unsuccessful.
Terry Nelson, deputy medical examiner, pronounced Davis dead at 8:38 p.m. and ruled the death a drowning.
The Chetek Fire Department ice rescue unit had several firemen in the water in a relatively short time after arriving on the scene, according to the DNR. They remarkably recovered the victim from the bottom of the lake without the use of divers. Atwood said a diving crew from Chippewa Falls had been called for assistance and was on its way, but was called back and told not to come when the body was recovered.
The accident is under investigation by Conservation Warden Russ Fell of the Department of Natural Resources.
Fell reminded residents that ice travel is never safe. This year is especially dangerous due to the lack of sub-zero temperatures. Throughout the county, several vehicles have fallen through the ice in recent weeks.
Atwood added that specifically on the Chetek lakes, any bridge areas will likely hold weak ice, especially after two days of temperatures in the 40s this week.
Other areas requiring cautious travel are near Luther Park Bible Camp on Prairie Lake, Lakeshore Resort between Ojaski and Pokegama Lakes, and several spots on Ten Mile Lake, Atwood stated.

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http://www.record-eagle.com/2003/jan/11deaths.htm

By PATRICK SULLIVAN
Record-Eagle staff writer
January 11, 2003

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - Two men are feared dead after they failed to return home from a snowmobile outing Thursday evening around Long Lake.
Grand Traverse County Sheriff deputies and a multi-agency dive team searched Friday for Traverse City residents David L. Swanson, 32, and Matthew R. Wyn, 36, in bitterly cold temperatures at the north end of Long Lake.
The investigation into their disappearance began when a Long Lake Township resident, Tony Buday, heard screams coming from the lake at around 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
When sheriff deputies and fire department rescuers arrived and a Coast Guard helicopter flew overhead, all the rescuers found were two snowmobile tracks headed across the ice and into open water.
Sheriff Scott Fewins said he received a call at around 1 a.m., alerting him to the disappearance of Swanson and Wyn. Their families were worried because it was uncharacteristic of the men not to come home, and one of them had an appointment in Grand Rapids on Friday morning that he would not have missed.
"These men are responsible family people who, according to the family, would never be late," Fewins said.
Fewins said the men probably entered the lake at Gilbert Park - where it is frozen - and headed south, later doubling back to the north end of the lake where the ice leads into open water.
Late Friday morning, with the men's family and friends looking on, a dive team searched for their bodies about 200 yards off shore. Fewins said that despite cold temperatures and a blistering breeze, the divers could safely dive, although each of the 10 divers could make at most two dives each.
The divers needed to be tethered to officers in a boat in case they floated under the ice, he said.
"It is going to be a very difficult recovery," Fewins said.
He also said the initial investigation was difficult. Both Swanson and Wyn were married and between them they had seven children who were younger than 7 years old.
Buday, who reported to police hearing cries of distress coming from the lake, said he had not heard such horrific screams since he served in the Korean War.
"My heart really goes out to the wives and the children," Buday said.
Buday, who had gone outside to attend to a wood-burning furnace, said when he heard the screams he got his wife to come outside and listen to confirm what he was hearing. She did and he called police.
Buday said the screams eventually subsided.
"I listened to them scream from the top of their lungs to where they were crying," he said. "I was in the Korean War, and I haven't heard anything like that since then."
Buday said he hopes to begin a drive to purchase a hovercraft for Grand Traverse County to expedite rescues and to make searching for bodies in icy water safer.
The lake in front of Buday's house is all open water and he said he doesn't understand why someone would have chanced taking a snowmobile near it.
"It surprised me," Buday said. "These people being local people, they should have known better. But we're all human."

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http://www.wbay.com/global/story.asp...Type=Printable

Venture on Thin Ice and Pay a Price

WBAY
By Jerry Burke

January 11, 03
Lake Winnebago, WI -- Getting rescued on Lake Winnebago will be a problem for the rest of the winter. It may become expensive, too.
Winnebago County's two rescue hovercraft were both heavily damaged during a rescue effort two weeks ago. Members of the county board are upset over that, not just because of the damage but because a couple firefighters came close to losing their own lives.
That has the county board thinking about imposing costs for rescues on the lake.
They got the engines on the hovercraft in Oshkosh started Friday morning. It was the first time those engines worked since that ill-fated rescue. The hoverboat was damaged and had to be abandoned, left partially submerged in the Lake Winnebago ice for nearly a week.
The mechanic says the engines were in rough shape. "Probably a little worse than I thought. I had to take all the fluid out of the engines. Most of it was water," said Paul Zellmer, who works for the Oshkosh Fire department.
Zellmer said the rest of the boat is so badly damaged it will have to be sent back to the factory and completely rebuilt. As a result, it will be out of service for the rest of the winter.
The fire chief is completely in favor of charging for ice rescues. "It's not a hazard that the general public has imposed on them. It's like everybody has the possibility of a fire, vehicle accident, things like that. This is a specific hazard because people are making a conscious decision to go out in these conditions," Chief Tim Franz said.
Chief Franz said if people know they face a hefty bill if they need to get rescued, maybe they'll think twice about going out on the ice when it is well-known that ice conditions aren't good.

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http://www.boston.com/dailynews/008/...red_misP.shtml

Farmer officially declared missing after draining of pond turns up empty

By Associated Press
1/8/2003

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (AP) Searchers drained a retention pond on Wednesday, but found no trace of a missing farmer who was last seen over the weekend tending his livestock. John Zaro, 55, was last seen Sunday at his large farm on Plain Street, police said. It was believed that he might have drowned in the pond while trying to rescue a cow that wandered on to the ice. Search teams from the Bridgewater Fire Department and state police dive teams drained the pond down to one foot of water but found no sign of Zaro or the missing cow, said Chief Roderick Walsh, of the Bridgewater Fire Department. ''We found nothing, unfortunately. We wanted to put some closure to it,'' Walsh said. Divers searched Tuesday night and resumed again Wednesday at 8 a.m. The search was called off at 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday. Zaro has been officially declared a missing person, Walsh said. Two divers were treated for hypothermia at a local hospital. A third was treated at a Boston hospital for a fractured hand, Walsh said. All three have been released. Since Zaro vanished, police with dogs have searched Zaro's property and the perimeter of the farm, but found nothing, Walsh said. Interviews with family friends and neighbors and a check with local medical facilities turned up no information about Zaro's whereabouts, and police said they found nothing suspicious at the farm. Zaro, a former chemical engineer, has operated the 160-acre farm since the 1970s. Zaro was described as 5-foot-5 and about 120 pounds, with dark hair and long sideburns. Police said they did not know what clothing he was wearing when last seen. Anyone with information was asked to call the Bridgewater Police Department at 508-697-6118.

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http://www.forestlaketimes.com/2003/.../15FLrape.html

Lake ice update

January 15, 2003
Forest Lake, MN - Police in Forest Lake have received numerous reports in the past week of ice houses sinking on Forest, Clear and Sylvan lakes. No ban on ice use has been issued for lakes in northern Washington County, but Anoka County authorities have addressed safety issues on a number of lakes in northern and eastern parts of Anoka County.
According to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the county on Jan. 10 declared Coon and Linwood lakes unsafe for any vehicular traffic, including snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.In addition, Crooked, Ham, George and Martin lakes were declared unsafe for cars and trucks but use of ATVs and snowmobiles is permissible.On Forest Lake, Schwartz urged lake users to take extreme caution on the ice. He said a large section of open water on First Lake was being kept open by strong winds and should be avoided by anyone using the ice surface.Washington County Sheriff’s Office personnel on Jan. 9, with the help of the Forest Lake Fire & Rescue airboat, marked dangerous ice areas on the lake.

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http://www.record-eagle.com/2003/jan/14search.htm

January 14, 2003

Search to resume for missing snowmobiler

High winds suspended separate search in Houghton Lake for two missing brothers

TRAVERSE CITY - The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department and a multi-agency dive team plan to resume their search today for a man missing since Thursday after he drove his snowmobile into Long Lake.
Sheriff Scott Fewins said that the search will be aided by an airboat on loan from Huron County that should be able to transport divers from the ice to an area in open water where police want to search.
Police are searching for the body of David Swanson, 32, whose snowmobile apparently went off the ice and into the water Thursday.
On Saturday, divers recovered the body of Matthew R. Wyn, 36, of Traverse City, who was riding with Swanson.
Earlier that day divers recovered the body of a third snowmobiler, Martin R. Selby, who fell through the ice on his snowmobile and drowned Saturday in a separate incident on Long Lake.
Because of cold temperatures, a blistering wind and a lake that continues to freeze as the search continues, efforts to locate the bodies have been grueling.
"All those guys out there have been doing a tremendous job out there, dealing with the cold and the wind," Capt. Tom Emerson said.
Fewins said that if Swanson's body is not recovered by Friday, the department has arranged to use a robotic underwater search craft from the University of Michigan. Fewins said that the craft, which is equipped with cameras and an arm that could bring a body from the water, can be used even if the lake freezes over entirely.
The Long Lake deaths were among a rash of snowmobile- and ice-related incidents over the weekend.
William J. Minch, 41, of Conklin was killed when his snowmobile collided with a tree at about 11:40 a.m. Sunday in Grand Traverse County's Union Township.
In Roscommon County's Houghton Lake, state police divers suspended their search Monday for two Houghton Lake brothers, ages 24 and 27, who fell through thin ice while snowmobiling Sunday. The search was suspended because of high winds, police said.
Police said three snowmobilers had been traveling across the lake Sunday night when they came upon thin ice, then open water. One of the snowmobilers was able to accelerate across the open water to shore.
Police did not identify the two brothers.
Elsewhere on Houghton Lake, five snowmobilers went through the ice near the northeast corner of the lake around 6:40 p.m. A sixth snowmobiler was able to stop in time and helped his companions back on the ice.
In Cheboygan, a 38-year-old man was ticketed for careless driving after his vehicle fell though thin ice Sunday on Mullett Lake.
Robert Allen Jewell, 38, of Cheboygan, was driving across the north end of Mullett Lake about 400 yards off shore about 4 p.m. Sunday when his vehicle broke through about four inches of ice, said Cheboygan County Sheriff Dale Clarmont. The vehicle was in about five feet of water.
In Oceana County's Shelby Township, 17-year-old Dennis A. Bantien of Shelby was killed when his snowmobile bumped another and crashed into a telephone pole Sunday.
In Gladwin County's Billings Township, 47-year-old Randy Hair of Hope was killed Saturday when his snowmobile struck a dock on the frozen Tittabawassee River.

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http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...d=382906&rfi=6

Search for 2 snowmobilers continues

By Thomas Reznich
January 15, 2003

Houghton Lake, MI - Unique weather activity over the last week has left area lakes with extremely dangerous ice conditions, including a massive patch of open water on Houghton Lake which extends for miles.
Since Saturday, seven snowmobiles have gone into the open water, including two driven by brothers David Wayne Sperry, 24, of Grayling and Jody Earl Sperry, 27, of Houghton Lake, who remain missing and are presumed to be dead after hitting the water on the night of Jan. 12.
Rescue workers from Roscommon, Lake and Lyon Townships, the State Police, Roscommon County Sheriff Department, Department of Natural Resources and US Coast Guard worked through the night to locate the missing men to no avail.
Attempts to locate the bodies of the missing snowmobilers and their sleds continued Wednesday by personnel from the Michigan State Police Underwater Recovery Unit and the Roscommon County Sheriff Department Dive Team.
Roscommon County Sheriff Fran Staley said that Dallas Carll, 27, of Houghton Lake was on a third snowmobile and was riding ahead of the Sperrys when they hit the water. Carll told police he accelerated when he felt the back end of his machine sinking and made it onto solid ice. When he realized his friends were in the water he rode to shore and called in the emergency.
Staley said Carll told him that the three riders were aware of the open water but had gotten off course in blowing snow conditions which cut down visibility. The area where the men were lost is around eight feet deep, with a water temperature around 35 degrees.

Five other snowmobiles went into the water on the night of Jan. 11, farther to the west where the depth was around five feet, and all were able to make it out of the water.

With conditions worsening as winds continue, Staley said he is weighing his options as to where to station emergency equipment, including the department’s airboat, to best advantage. Firefighters from Roscommon, Lake and Denton Townships will man their stations from Friday evening to Sunday evening in case of further emergencies during the first weekend of Tip-up Town 2003.

State Police 1st Lt. David Mertz said equipment including the department’s hovercraft, a boat and survival suits are at the ready. He said that anyone who ventures out on the ice of any of the lakes in the area should exercise extreme caution, since there is no area that can be considered safe.

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http://www.kcchronicle.com/today/KCC...452605165.html

Elburn hosts ice rescue drill


By DAN CHANZIT
Kane County Chronicle

January 17, 2003
ELBURN — With temperatures hovering near freezing for much of January, most detention ponds and creeks in the region have a healthy sheet on top.
Or do they?
"With a lot of those retention ponds, you've never know if the ice is nice." fire chief Kelly Callahan said.
"Even though it looks good, at certain times it can actually be worse," Capt. Alan Isberg said.
That has prompted rescue workers to host an ice rescue drill Saturday. The Elburn and Countryside Fire District has conducted similar drills twice since 1992.
The drill will be at 10 a.m. at the pond at Third and Willow streets. Before the drill, rescue workers will attend a class at 8 a.m.
Village administrator said barricades will be posted to keep curious residents away.
Workers will test new lifesaving tools. Some will wear special suits to protect them from the cold and keep them dry.
The district has four suits, but none have been used in an ice rescue. In the floods of 1996, rescue workers used the suits to keep them dry.
Callahan said the suits will get a workout on Saturday. Some will dive into the icy water to retrieve a practice victim.
"We'll have the instructor be a simulated victim," Callahan said. "Then we will get in the water, too."
Officials said a few problems have cropped up in the region with people falling through the ice.
Last year, a woman's dog fell through on a pond outside Elburn. Officials said the woman saved the dog before rescue workers arrived.
"That is very much not recommended," Callahan said.
Two years ago, a Geneva couple's dog died after falling through the ice at Fisher Farms, Geneva officials said.
Twenty years ago, a 12-year-old boy and his dog were playing on ice near Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva.
"The boy went out to get the dog off the ice, and the piece broke away. They were unable to get back," recalled Geneva Fire Chief Steve Olson. "We ended up going out there with a boat. He was one cold little kid."
Olson urged residents to stay away from the Fox River and use park district ponds instead.
"No matter how secure the ice appears, threat it as though it is not," Olson said. "There is nothing to describe what it feels like when you get hypothermia. It slows everything down. You can't do anything to rescue yourself."

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http://www.pottstownmercury.com/site...id=18041&rfi=6

Rescue work concludes on a light note

Kristin Smith
The Mercury

January 15, 2003

MONT CLARE, PA -- What began as a rescue effort in the turbulent waters of the Schuylkill River Saturday afternoon ended in relief as dive teams pulled an orange beach ball that was lodged under an abandoned boat out of the river.
Mont Clare Deputy Fire Chief Charles Palmer said his team was dispatched to rescue what appeared to be a floating body.

"We got called out for a possible water rescue. There was a boat in the water, and someone said they saw the boat bobbing up and down with something orange, like a life vest," said Palmer.

"When we got down there, we put three boats in the water and went up to the dam to check it out. It turns out it was a boat with nobody around it and the orange thing that looked like a life vest was a beach ball."

The search took approximately one to two hours, and the teams were not able to bring the boat to shore because of the heavy turbulence, according to Palmer. The Fish and Game Commission have determined the boat came down loose from the Black Rock boat launch.

The rescue effort follows the Thanksgiving Day drowning that turned into a grueling week long recovery effort for local dive teams. Mario Scamuffa, 36, of Coatesville, lost his footing on ice while walking on a cement retaining wall and fell into the frigid waters.

Earlier in the year, rescuers also searched the same area in a five-day recovery effort of the body of Roseanne Corey of Quakertown.

Also responding to Saturday’s effort were Phoenixville and Spring-Ford Dive Rescue Teams.

Corey, 37, was boating with her boyfriend in May when her dog jumped over the side of the boat and Corey drowned in an attempt to rescue the animal.

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http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?B...&PAG=461&rfi=9

Rescue workers hold winter training exercises on Cass Lake

By: Sarah Balstad, Staff Writer
January 12, 2003

CASS LAKE, MN - With a temperature of zero and winds blowing across frozen Cass Lake, holes cut in the ice allowed rescue workers to jump into the freezing water.
Emergency workers, including police, sheriff and fire departments from all over Minnesota, gathered on Cass Lake Saturday for rescue training organized by the Cass County Sheriff's Department and Cass Lake Fire Department.
The day was intended to give workers training and practice with ice rescue, skills especially necessary this year with such unstable ice conditions.
"This is reality. It's 5 below and there's 20 inches of ice. We've had some trouble getting some of the machines going because of the weather, but that's reality. Accidents don't only happen on nice days," said Sgt. Tim Berglund of the Cass County Sheriff Department.
Berglund is also coordinator of the boat and water program in Cass County.
"We're here to share knowledge and work with the equipment in the event that we need it so we'll be prepared," Berglund said, "and help is only a phone call away."
"It's a multiple agency exercise practice to get to know each other and about the equipment," said Dan Bibeau of the Itasca County Dive Team.
By bringing different departments together from around the area, more resources are available in the event of an emergency. And resources aren't limited to manpower, they include machine power as well, like that of Bemidji Fire Department's hovercraft, Cohasset Fire Department's ice angel (airboat) and the JTW Associates nebulous device.
The Bemidji Fire Department's hovercraft was donated by the Neilson Foundation and has already been used to save four lives. The vehicle can travel on a pocket of air over ice, land and water and is larger than other models for the purpose of rescue, according to Bemidji firefighter Mike Yavarow.
The Cohasset Fire Department's ice angel (airboat) is similar to boats often seen in areas like the Everglades with a few exceptions. The ice angel (airboat) is equipped with a boom winch for lifting objects out of the water. The vehicle can travel on water, snow and ice, and has a special coating on its pontoons to avoid ice buildup.
"It's really used quite frequently," said Denny Lemler of the Cohasset Fire Department.
The JTW Associates nebulous device is an inflatable attachment for snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. A prototype of the search and rescue model was exhibited at the event and is intended to float the driver, the machine, and a victim.

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Sheriff weighs safety, search

January 18, 2003

By PATRICK SULLIVAN
Record-Eagle staff writer

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - Since two snowmobilers plunged into Long Lake nine days ago, Sheriff Scott Fewins has had a lot to think about.
He comforted the families of the two men, who desperately wanted the bodies of their loved ones recovered.
He fretted over the safety of the divers who performed the exhausting work of methodically searching the lake bed. He made sure their zeal to complete the assignment did not put them at risk.
And he considered the mounting cost of the operation, which quickly consumed the department's annual budget for recovery operations, despite generous donations of resources from other police departments and even offers from department members to work free.
As a cold front moved into northern Michigan throughout the week and the gaping hole of open water on the north end of Long Lake closed, however, nature made the call for him - the search had to be suspended, at least until the ice becomes solid.
"Mother Nature has froze us out of the lake," Fewins said Friday in a frustrated voice.
The search has been suspended since Wednesday, when the open water on the north end of Long Lake disappeared. In the last dives, an airboat was used to chop holes in the ice and the divers jumped into the lake, shoving aside great chunks of ice.
The search is scheduled to resume Tuesday, as long as the lake is safely frozen solid. Fewins arranged to use a Michigan State Police orbital sonar, which will scan the lake's bottom in 40-foot sections, entering the lake through holes in the ice 10 inches wide.
The divers have recovered one body, that of 36-year-old Matthew Wyn of Traverse City. They located the snowmobiles about 50 yards away from each other in about 60 feet of water, in the area where on Jan. 10 rescuers discovered two snowmobile tracks leading into the lake.
Thirty-two-year-old David Swanson still is missing.
Under Michigan's Constitution, a sheriff is required to recover bodies from water in their jurisdiction, but the law does not specify how long a sheriff must search or under what circumstances a search should be called off.
A sheriff is just required "to use every available means in the recovery of any such body," according to the law.
So a search becomes a balancing act of different concerns - for the families involved, for the expense of the operation and for the safety of the divers.
"We don't want to have them have to wait all winter long to possibly have a recovery, so they can go through the funeral and the memorial services three months from now," Fewins said. "That's part of it, but I also have to be concerned about safety; safety's No. 1."
Fewins said he also has considered the cost of the operation, but he has put it to the back of his mind.
"Lately I've had people ask, 'You know, what is this costing?' And it's true, there is a cost figure associated with it," he said.
A further complication is that there have been two other body recovery searches in the state over the past week, one in the Upper Peninsula and the other at Houghton Lake. That has complicated efforts to get equipment that is shared across the state.
The family of Matthew Wyn, who was recovered a week ago, praised Fewins for his performance under such tough circumstances.
Wyn's brother, Tod Wyn, said Fewins was good at communicating with the family and friends of Wyn and Swanson from the beginning.
"Scott Fewins was very compassionate, very caring and was very, very interested in getting their bodies," he said.
Wyn's mother, Sharon Wyn, also praised Fewins and the divers.
"They were just magnificent heroes, and we cannot believe all they did and all they endured and the conditions that they had to do it in," she said.
Fewins remains hopeful that the sonar will locate Swanson and he will be able to end the operation in success. He and the dive team have carefully studied the area of the lake and have an area the size of between one and two football fields to search.
"The only thing that will stop us is if the conditions change and the lake wants to open up again," he said. "What we're going to try to accomplish I think is doable."
But the decision to call off the sonar search will ultimately be up to the state police, he said. Should it come to that, he said he does not know if there will be a "plan C."

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http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/n...11803ICE2.html

January 18, 2003
Frozen ponds a deadly lure

By LUIS PUGA Staff Writer

It can be tempting to venture out onto the ice.

As temperatures drop and winds bring shivering cold, it may be hard to believe that the ice isn't thick enough.

Take today, where the National Weather Service at Mount Holly is predicting a continuation of the cold snap with highs in the mid-20s. At night, those highs will drop into the teens. That much cold equals frozen water, right?

But experts say no matter how cold it gets, it's best to stay off the ice unless its been measured for thickness by authorities.

"We go by the old adage that no ice is safe ice," said Chief Cliff Higbee, Cumberland County's Marine Coordinator and head of the Fortescue Dive Team.

Higbee's perspective is unique as the Fortescue Fire Department is one of the few that has divers trained to rescue people who fall through the ice. His team knows the dangers of thin ice and trains other fire departments in Cumberland, Gloucester, Atlantic and Cape May counties on how to perform an ice rescue even without diving equipment. His advice to would-be skaters, hockey players or just the curious: stay off the ice.

"They definitely should not (venture onto a frozen body of water) unless it is a designated area," Higbee said. Local authorities check such areas like Millville's Corsin Park or Burnt Mill Pond in Vineland daily. A colored flag tells would-be skaters whether the ice is safe. Green means go and red means stay off.

Still, Higbee said ice is just a magnet for people who think what looks solid on the surface will support their weight.

"It's more curiosity seekers than anything," he said. "The biggest problem is kids walking out on the ice. They're walking home and they see the local pond is frozen over and they go out."

Or, it's the pets.

"We had more problems with animals than humans," said Higbee, who said in that case, a rescue is up to the local department. "These days, people pretty much value their pets as if they were kids."

And, with any call for a rescue, rescue personnel are trained to expect more than one person has fallen in.

"It's just human nature," said Higbee. "It's more than likely that someone will try to help (the person who has fallen in). But, all the good intentions can't help you out of the ice. The classic example was in Gloucester County. They rescued two girls who then remembered the guy who tried to help them. He was under the ice."

So if you do fall in, what should you do?

Higbee said you should stay calm and try to lean forward back onto the ice if possible. He said if you get back up on the ice, roll onto it and crawl back to solid ground. Never stand up or walk. If you can't get back up on the ice, yell for help.

As for good Samaritans, Higbee said, "We don't ever recommend venturing out onto the ice to help someone."

Instead, tree branches may be a good way to reach out to someone. Higbee said that sort of extended arm is what firefighters without diving or other specialized equipment are trained to do with ladders or rope. Rarely are they advised to go out on the ice unless they have an exposure or "Gumby" suit, which allows them to endure a cold plunge.

While there have been some cases where people have survived in frigid water for hours, Higbee said that even with trained rescuers, you still shouldn't go out on the ice.

After all, by the time a passer-by sees you, finds a phone and calls for help, it could be 10 or 20 minutes after you've fallen in.

And the most dangerous situation is when a person falls in under the ice, where survival decreases sharply.

"In the past 10 years, we've pulled out 20 bodies from under the ice and we've never been able to revive any of them," he said.

In Vineland, John Polaha, superintendent of recreation, said city crews check on Burnt Mill Pond and Ellis Pond at Giampetro Park three times a day after they freeze over. Neither is frozen now, despite the chilly weather, and Polaha said it's been 10 years since Ellis Pond froze over.

"There's always the Vineland Skating Rink" he said, noting the indoor recreation facility. And while you may fall there, at least it will be on solid footing.

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http://www.nbc4.com/print/1918097/detail.html?use=print

Father, Son Rescued From Potomac
Boat Gets Stuck In Ice

January 18, 2003

DARNESTOWN, Md. -- A father and son found out first hand just how cold the Potomac was Saturday morning after their boat became icebound near Riley's Locke on the C&O Canal.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Oscar Garcia said the two had gone out for a little duck hunting when their boat became trapped by patches of floating ice just after noon.
The River Rescue Strike Team was called in and was able to break through the ice to get to the stranded vessel. It was towed back to shore.
Garcia says no one was hurt, just a little cold.

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http://www.nbc4.com/print/1920819/detail.html?use=print
nbc4.com

Rescuers Train For Ice Emergencies

Two Men Rescued From C&O Canal This Weekend

POSTED: 6:11 p.m. EST January 20, 2003

POTOMAC, Md. -- A rescue this weekend on the C&O Canal highlighted the importance of ice safety on the area's frozen waterways.

A father and son were trapped on the canal when ice surrounded their boat and refroze. The men tried to use their cell phone but it didn't work.
Finally, a park police helicopter spotted them and called for help. Rescue crews had to smash through the ice with another boat to reach the men.
Rescuers Conduct Practice Drill


On a frozen pond in Potomac Monday, fire rescue divers braved the elements with a rescue drill. One man dressed in a wet suit plunged into the icy water.
Rescuers slid along the ice to reach the man.

Experts said it is important for anyone trapped in icy water to conserve energy. Victims should hold their position and call for help.
Rescuers also said anyone on dry land should not try to rescue the trapped person. Instead, witnesses should call for help immediately.

Crews said people who try to save the trapped person often cause more problems by shattering the ice the stranded person is using to float.
However, a long branch or a flotation device can be used to help the stranded person stay above water.
Paramedics said everyone should also remember that looks can be deceiving. If ice is a foot thick in one area of a lake or pond, it can be one inch thick just a few yards away.

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http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...d=141265&rfi=6

Mystery man rescues ice fisherman on Lake St. Clair

By Mitch Hotts, Macomb Daily Staff Writer
January 20, 2003

The frozen sections of Lake St. Clair were busy Sunday with recreational vehicles and fishermen. Authorities said ice covering most of the lake is strong enough to walk on.

Lake St. Clair --Local anglers credit a "mystery" man with putting his life on the line to help save an ice fisherman who fell through the ice and into the frigid waters of Lake St. Clair on Sunday afternoon.

Michael Goode, 49, of Warren, was rescued from the lake in Harrison Township by a team of about 30 fishermen after he attempted to retrieve a shanty.

He was held overnight at Mount Clemens General Hospital for treatment of hypothermia, but was thankful to be alive, relatives said.

"He told me that if it wasn't for the fellow who helped him, he would be dead," said Sandy Goode, the victim's wife.

Authorities don't know the name of the rescuer, who left after emerging soaking wet from the lake, although some witnesses said he was a Marine City resident.

The incident happened about 2 p.m. at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources site at the end of Rosso Highway at Jefferson. Temperatures were in the upper teens, but near or below zero with the wind speeds factored in, officials said.

Goode was fishing about three-quarters of a mile from shore when the wind blew his shanty near an area of open water and into the lake.

Goode used a snowmobile to catch up with the shanty, but the ice broke as he approached and he fell into the freezing water, which was about 6 feet deep.

"You could barely see his head out there," said Richard Spears of Warren, another ice fisherman.

Other anglers saw the commotion and organized a small rescue party, carefully walking as close as they could on the ice to Goode, with a rope to haul him in.

Donald Wonsowicz, a grants officer with Wayne State University, said he heard Goode screaming "at the top of his lungs" to call for help.

At one point, the mystery man jumped into the water and looped a rope around Goode, which the crowd used to pull Goode in to stronger ice and then to an awaiting ambulance.

"This guy was truly amazing," Wonsowicz said. "I wish I knew his name. I didn't think the guy (Goode) in the water was going to make it, but this young guy went right out there and got him."

Harrison Township fire crews arrived at the scene just as Goode was removed from the water and helped warm the victim before taking him to the hospital.

Dr. Glenn Delong at Mount Clemens General Hospital said Goode was in stable condition Sunday evening and was being held overnight for observation.

Capt. Carl Seitz of the Harrison Township Fire Department said the ice thickness varies on Lake St. Clair. He urged flotation devices be worn by anglers near open water.

Goode, who has two children and two grandchildren, is a humble man who was happy to have come out of the water with his cell phone and glasses on, relatives said.

He works at the Continental Trailer Park in Warren, where rap star Eminem filmed portions of the "8 Mile" movie last year.

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http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/jan03/112465.asp

Snowmobiler missing in lake
Friend rescued from icy waters of Big Cedar by 3 who heard cries

By LAURIA LYNCH-GERMAN
Jan. 21, 2003
Town of West Bend, WI - One man was missing in Big Cedar Lake late Tuesday after he and another man rode a snowmobile into a patch of open water, Washington County Sheriff Jack Theusch said.
A teenager on his way to church helped rescue one of the men from the icy waters.
Both snowmobilers, who were riding on a single sled, were believed to be in their 20s, Theusch said. Searchers from the Washington County Sheriff's Department and West Bend Fire Department were still looking for the missing snowmobiler as of 10 p.m., said Theusch, who added that he had asked the Waukesha County Dive Rescue Team to assist.
Torey Bringa, 17, heard cries for help about 7:30 p.m. as he walked out of his home on W. Lake Drive. "I was going to my car to go to church, and I thought I heard something," Bringa said. "It sounded like 'help' or 'call,' but it sounded pretty faint."
Bringa said he went across W. Lake Drive, got in the car and closed the door. Then he thought again.
"I opened the car door and heard it again," Bringa said. "I walked down toward the front of my house, and then I could really hear it. I could hear someone yelling for help."
Bringa said he ran into his home, grabbed some rope and a flashlight and headed onto the ice, following the cries. As he approached the open water, he met two other people who had heard the same pleas for help - and encountered a man struggling to stay afloat.
"We threw in the rope, and the three of us pulled him onto the ice," Bringa said. "(The man) told us he had been hanging on to his friend's shoulders before we got there. He said he was pulling him down."
Bringa, who was home alone at the time, said he didn't think twice about venturing onto the ice.
"Even if I thought it was a joke, there was no harm in just checking," he said. "I'm glad I took that second chance to listen again."
Theusch said initial interviews with witnesses indicated people were helping soon after the sled went in the lake. The man who was pulled from the water was very cold and was treated by the West Bend Fire Department at the scene, Theusch said.

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http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi...e/01_21-34/TOP

Two teens plunge through the ice

By BRIAN HAYNES, Staff Writer

January 21, 2003
Annapaolis, MD - When Leif Anderson's 13-year-old daughter saw a teen walking on the ice behind her Pasadena home yesterday afternoon, she saw fun.But Mr. Anderson saw danger.

Moments later he was rushing to a nearby pier with an extension cord in hand to save the teen, who had fallen through the ice into the chilly waters of Cockey Creek.

"I just knew he was in big trouble," Mr. Anderson said.

Two throws and about 10 minutes later, 14-year-old Brian Hart was safely inside the Anderson home, wearing a blanket and a dry set of clothes and getting an earful from Mr. Anderson's wife, he said.

"I would think he learned his lesson," Mr. Anderson said.

Brian told the Andersons that he understood the danger before county firefighters drove him to North Arundel Hospital for precautionary treatment.

But his fall and another one about an hour earlier have public safety officials warning people of all ages that there's no reason to learn Brian's lesson the hard way.

"Right now I wouldn't trust anything, anywhere," Annapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Lonergan said of the ice covering many of the county's creeks and rivers.

Even later in the season, it's best to avoid walking on the ice altogether because local water conditions make for very inconsistent ice thicknesses, he said. So while it might appear thick enough in one spot, the ice could be dangerously thin just a few feet away.

"It's too risky," he said.

Another county teen found out for himself how dangerous the ice can be.

Joshua Sullivan, 14, fell through the ice about 1:30 p.m. outside his home overlooking Marley Creek, said Division Chief John Scholz, a county Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighters rushed to the scene, but by the time they arrived Joshua had pulled himself from the chest-deep water and started a hot bath in his family's apartment nearby.

Like Brian, he too was taken to North Arundel Hospital for treatment.

A similar incident occurred in Ocean City Sunday, but one of the two children playing on thin ice at a park there didn't survive.

Eight-year-old Sam Wilkinson died Sunday night after he fell through the ice on a partially frozen lake and was submerged about an hour.

Nicholas McLoota, 10, also fell into the frigid water. He was rescued about 3 minutes later, then treated and released from the University of Maryland Hospital for Children in Baltimore at 3 p.m., spokesman Alexandra Bessent said.

The boys were chasing a ball across the ice on a man-made lake at Northside Park at about 5:30 p.m. when they fell through, said Ocean City police Sgt. Regina Custer.

Each winter fire departments respond to many similar calls, and with early-season temperatures as low as they've been in years, officials expect to see more incidents like yesterday's.

If that happens rescuers should take many of the same precautions that Mr. Anderson did.

After calling for professional help, the most important rule is to avoid going onto the ice because if it couldn't hold the first person, it almost certainly can't hold a second, Chief Scholz said.

"Do not walk onto the ice to get somebody because you'll become a victim yourself," he said.

Rescuers should try throwing a line, a rope, a floating ring (even an extension cord) to the victim and pull him to safety.

If, as a last resort, going onto the ice is necessary, use a ladder, an inflatable raft or some other device to spread your weight over the ice.

Mr. Anderson had never rescued anyone before, but he knew enough to make his first attempt a success. And while he used to skate on frozen ponds and creeks in his childhood, Mr. Anderson always saw the danger in it.

"I'd rather go to the ice rink," he said.