Despite a warning from police last week about thinning ice, OPP report that yesterday at approximately 4:04 p.m., a truck partially plunged through the ice on Lake Nipissing.
See: Warming temperatures bringing thinner ice
The truck was trying to cross a pressure crack near an island and went through the ice. A tow truck was used to tow the vehicle to safety.
"Every year emergency services respond to vehicles that have broken through the ice," says Provincial Constable Miles Loach. "Drivers of snowmobiles, passenger vehicles and all-terrain vehicles that travel on ice for recreational purposes have a responsibility to ensure that the ice can support the weight of the vehicle being used."
Ice safety and weight-bearing properties of ice can be affected by many factors, including thickness, water currents, the age of the ice, pressure cracks, snow cover and weather changes. Ice conditions can change dramatically from lake-to-lake and from bay-to-bay.
Recent warm weather is changing the load bearing capabilities quickly on local waterways and in some cases open water has already been seen.
