New Hampshire: Two Dead, One Missing in Ice Fishing Accident

[TomSea]

Excerpt:

Two Dead, One Missing in Ice Fishing Accident

...

According to Keith Griffin for DailyMail.com, two anglers have died after their snowmobiles broke through the ice during an ice fishing tournament on Lake Winnipesaukee. Search crews are also looking for a missing 15-year-old boy. Thousands of people were said to be participating in this tournament.

...

It appears as if these accidents occurred separately in two different locations on the ice. In addition to the deaths and the missing boy, two anglers have been hospitalized.

The first incident happened when three snowmobiles plunged through the ice, roughly 300 yards from shore. One man escaped quickly and survived and another rider was pronounced dead at an area hospital after efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful. The body of the third individual in this particular accident was found hours later with sonar.

The second incident—on the same day and the same lake—occured when a father and son’s snowmobile went through the ice later in the day. The father was rescued and the 15-year-old son remains missing. The search is ongoing.

- http://www.scout.com/outdoors/wired2fish/story/1754491-two-dead-one-missing-in-ice-fishing-accident?s=385

[TomSea]

The headline here is a bit off; this is more like Snowmobile accidents at an ice fishing tournament, apparently, people rode snowmobiles on the frozen lake.

Snowmobiles don't usually have seat belts from what I can remember. Some may. I'm just wondering how this happened, crashed through the ice and then? Are they snapped into the snowmobile somehow?



Usually, one rides snowmobiles, obviously, over snow.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4216256/Two-dead-one-missing-New-Hampshire-Lake-Winnipesaukee.html
Two people have died and a 15-year-old boy is missing after snowmobiles plunged into a frozen lake in New Hampshire

More accurate, I should have looked for another source.

[Blizzardnh]

http://www.wmur.com/article/body-of-15-year-old-boy-pulled-from-icy-lake-winnipesaukee/8734710

[TomSea]

They probably got trapped under the ice, it's been awhile. That's how it often happens.

[goatprairie]

Once people fall into water that is barely above freezing, they usually only have about a minute or so before their arms and legs cannot function. Then they simply drown.
I live close to the Mississippi and it is really only a few months out of the year that the water is warm enough not to affect body temp.  Many people have capsized their canoes or kayaks on the river in April and drowned because a combination of a swift current and cold temps only gave them a short time to rescue themselves or be rescued.
Flotation devices help but only for a limited time.
Many years ago when I was a Boy Scout my troop did an overnight in area park close to the river in April. The next day it was sunny and in the 70s, so one of the Scouts decided to jump out of canoe in a slough close to the river for a swim. He quickly froze up and had to be rescued by some other scouts.
People with snowmobiles on ice are asking for trouble.  It can be dangerous enough just walking on supposedly "thick" ice.

[Sanguine]

I've spent time on Lake Winnipesaukee.  Beautiful place.  Sad story.

[mountaineer]

Once people fall into water that is barely above freezing, they usually only have about a minute or so before their arms and legs cannot function. Then they simply drown.
I live close to the Mississippi and it is really only a few months out of the year that the water is warm enough not to affect body temp.  Many people have capsized their canoes or kayaks on the river in April and drowned because a combination of a swift current and cold temps only gave them a short time to rescue themselves or be rescued.

That is scary to contemplate. My canoe capsized on the Current River in Missouri and I - stupidly - wasn't wearing a life vest. Thankfully, the water was fairly warm (it was late summer) and I was able to kick my way clear of the roots and whatever was wrapped around my ankles, get to the surface and rescue my canoe mate. Lost my glasses and favorite hat, though.  ^-^   

[TomSea]

Once people fall into water that is barely above freezing, they usually only have about a minute or so before their arms and legs cannot function. Then they simply drown.
I live close to the Mississippi and it is really only a few months out of the year that the water is warm enough not to affect body temp.  Many people have capsized their canoes or kayaks on the river in April and drowned because a combination of a swift current and cold temps only gave them a short time to rescue themselves or be rescued.
Flotation devices help but only for a limited time.
Many years ago when I was a Boy Scout my troop did an overnight in area park close to the river in April. The next day it was sunny and in the 70s, so one of the Scouts decided to jump out of canoe in a slough close to the river for a swim. He quickly froze up and had to be rescued by some other scouts.
People with snowmobiles on ice are asking for trouble.  It can be dangerous enough just walking on supposedly "thick" ice.

Thanks for the informative reply. I'm sure all of this is true; at the same time, I do know that in especially the Northern States and in Europe too; they have those "polar bear plunges" which to the bystander looks like people just doing something crazy.  I actually did fall into a shallow reservoir-type lake once, falling through thin ice that gave away but was able to quickly get out.

Polar Bear plunges though, from what I've seen usually have people largely wading and running into the shallow part of a lake and not submerging themselves into the water.

Random poster for such an event, Thunder Bay, Canada, this might be in late March but I know they do exist in colder months such as Jan. and Feb. :


There are even more snow mobile accidents I saw in the news; but one can research those for themselves.

[Cripplecreek]

We do the full submergence here in Michigan. I'll pass.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQMv1GBxo7U

[TomSea]

The organizers unfortunately, may ultimately be held financially liable in this though I know little about this event.

I do know, there are some set guidelines for one is to venture onto a lake.





And of course, per the Conesus lake story, apparently one part of that lake was not adequately frozen over. http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,248968.0.html

--------

Editing on, I thought those "polar bear plunges" and events like that, often happen on New Year's or New Year's Eve, a kind of ceremony bringing in the new year.

Here we go, a Jan. 2nd dated article.

Polar Bear Plunge: Swimmers Splash Into 2016 in Atlantic Ocean off New York City

NEW YORK—New Year’s Day was a time to chill out for a throng of adventuresome swimmers who started 2016 with a dip in the Atlantic Ocean off New York City.
More: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1931531-polar-bear-plunge-swimmers-splash-into-2016-in-atlantic-ocean-off-new-york-city/

[goatprairie]

Thanks for the informative reply. I'm sure all of this is true; at the same time, I do know that in especially the Northern States and in Europe too; they have those "polar bear plunges" which to the bystander looks like people just doing something crazy.  I actually did fall into a shallow reservoir-type lake once, falling through thin ice that gave away but was able to quickly get out.

Polar Bear plunges though, from what I've seen usually have people largely wading and running into the shallow part of a lake and not submerging themselves into the water.

Random poster for such an event, Thunder Bay, Canada, this might be in late March but I know they do exist in colder months such as Jan. and Feb. :


There are even more snow mobile accidents I saw in the news; but one can research those for themselves.

Yeah, they do that polar bear plunge in the Mississippi here as well. I still shiver watching on tv the people belly flop into the shallow water. Then they're quickly hauled out and warmed up. But here in Wisconsin and neighboring Minnesota every weekend in the winter seems to have stories of people on snowmobiles or cars crashing through the ice on a lake or river.
A nearby city of Winona, Minn. had several cases of college kids getting out of bars late at night, jumping into a vehicle, and speeding down a street close to the river. At one particular turn right at the rivers edge twice within the last decade a car full of college kids missed the turn and their car plunged down an embankment and into the Mississippi. The fast current and near freezing water meant they all drowned within minutes.
It took the second time before the city decided to put up extra barriers along the embankment to try and prevent cars from going over. 
And close to my home in La Crosse, Wis.  we just had a young male adult after a night of drinking at a downtown bar drive off a bridge and into shallow water. They found his body under the ice after several days of dragging. His friends had been following in a car right behind him but lost him at some traffic lights. Happens every year somewhere in the state like snowmobilers going through ice. And to be sure many times alcohol was a factor.