Stay off the ice!

OPP News Release

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Spring rain and warming temperatures are making for unsafe ice conditions on many area lakes and rivers. The Ontario Provincial Police warn those who are planning to venture out onto the thawing waterways that ice conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

Earlier this afternoon, an ATV operator was rescued from the frigid waters of Lake Nipissing’s south shore after his machine broke through the ice (Wades Landing -Nipissing Township).

Lake ice may appear to be thick in one area only to thin out to open water unexpectedly. Below freezing nighttime temperatures often create a deceptive layer of thin ice – a watery death trap for the unsuspecting.

“Not only do people who are travelling on frozen waterways during the spring thaw risk their lives, they endanger the lives of rescuers who may be called out to assist them if they happen to break through the ice or get bogged down in slush,” states Inspector Mark Andrews.

Please keep safety in mind – if you don’t know, don’t go!

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