Is a life lost worth a fish?, No ice is safe ice.

I really wish that we could invite the 32 fisherman that were rescued to a meeting. And also invite their family and entire extended family, friends, aquaintances and social media followers. At the meeting we could ask all the people in attendance to take out their credit cards and debit cards, then ask this question.... How much would you have paid to have these 32 fisherman rescued off the ice before they die? No idea how much money we could collect, I guess that would depend on how much their families, friends and social media followers loved them. What ever the money total came to, it would go directly to the brave First Responders that risked their lives to save these irresponsible fishermen. The Police, Fire Department, Paramedics, Pilots and anyone else involved in this rescue are not at our beck and call providing a service. They are there to save lives in an emergency. What if there was a real emergency just down the road somewhere, and that life and death real emergency had to wait. What if someone died because all the First Responders were busy rescuing these privileged fishermen with no common sense. What if one or more of the First Responders died while rescuing these fishermen. In the end the First Responders did their job perfectly and saved everyone. But truly it is unfair to expect them to put their lives on the line, for those of you who should know better. Many of the fishermen trapped on the ice were supposedly experienced anglers. I would never go fishing with any of them, anywhere, anytime. No need for me to repeat some of the names that were out there, social media and the news has taken care of that already. I wouldn't even take fishing advice or waste my time watching fishing videos of irresponsible fishermen. I would like to know how someone would explain to the family of a First Responder, that they were the reason that hero did not come home to their wife or husband and children. Zero empathy for these 32 individuals that made a conscience decision to go out fishing on Georgian Bay with wind in the forecast, on a warm sunny day, in March with bad ice conditions. No ice is safe ice. It's not that hard to understand. Or is it? This is how people die every year, next time they may not be so lucky.

I put this topic on this message board because it is the busiest. The more we anglers help each other out with some advice or a kind word, the better. Sometimes it needs to be a bit stronger than a kind word. Stay safe.

Good submission, I agree.

Have to get those special YouTube videos! Some real clowns on those icebergs for sure.An expensive lesson for all of them.

I don’t know all the details, and won’t claim to. From what I read there was near a couple feet of ice. And in my opinion it IS the first responders job to attend to an emergency, which this clearly was. Whether on purpose, by accident, act of God, or the result of someone’s stupid decision, when there is a problem, we have first responders to react. They signed up for this and have been highly trained for just such an occurrence.

By your logic, if someone does anything deemed stupid, they should not be helped? So if you’re speeding, and crash - no help. If you drop a cigarette and set your house on fire - no help. If you crash a snowmobile into a tree because you’re going a bit too fast, you’re on your own. What about the guy who called rescue on himself stuck in slush on Lake Joe last week. Shouldn’t have been out when there’s slush, so, no help for you.

Doesn’t make sense to me. I would argue that a high percentage of all emergencies are due to someone’s lack of better judgement. It’s literally why we have first responders. They got to burn up some old fuel in the helicopters and put their training to use. Got a good adrenaline rush, and feel good about their teamwork in saving some lives.

like I said, I don’t know all the details of the situation, but everyone made it, and the emergency crews did what they do. Seems like a happy ending, not a chance to place blame.

As always Drew, I respect your thoughts on this topic. You have stated your opinions on previous posts similar to this situation. Also I enjoy reading your posts on your fishing adventures very much. You are right, by no means would I suggest First Responders should not attend a scene like the one that unfolded on the ice. Again you are right, if someone does anything deemed stupid, they should of course still have access to emergency First Responders expertise on saving lives. I never implied otherwise and would not at anytime. I did say the irresponsible fishermen put the First Responders lives at risk, as well as a potential real emergency not being attended to in time to save the patient. Over 80% of First Responders calls are for immediate medical attention, not careless accidents. Some examples being seniors/children/adults falls... strokes... breathing issues... non responsive person, medical alert etc. As I said, in the end the First Reponders did their job perfectly and saved everyone. Having the time to watch and read all the reports relevant to this incident I decided to post some of the facts. By their own admission during interviews, more than a few stated that it was probably a bad idea to be on that ice, that day. No need to repeat the names that were already on the news and/or posted on some of their own social media accounts. And with this still under investigation I would not want to be another person spreading rumors. The fishermen should be, and are embarrassed enough for their lack in judgment. Making a conscious decision to put themselves and others in harms way is no accident. And that is where I do place blame. Thanks very much Drew for the reply, we don't have to agree on everyone's posts all the time. That's what makes this Fishing Forum great. Discussions, disagreements, advice, new ideas, questions, answers and solutions etc. Looking forward to a great soft water season. Stay safe everybody..

Thanks Fisherman, just a few thoughts from an old guy that has seen too many preventable accidents. Never a bad idea to say.....What could go wrong? If the answer is still in question, it's time to rethink the idea.

Yes, they did say that leaving their equipment on the ice was their choice. But the facts are, there was no fishing equipment allowed on the aircraft during the evacuation of these individuals. What happened to all that equipment is a costly mystery. One report suggested approximatly 50,000 dollars of fishing equipment was lost, or floated away. LiveScopes, augers, rods, reels, sleds etc. Treasure to be found at a later date by a scuba diver.

I agree with you, Drew. We take our chances everyday, even when we hop in our vehicles…… Good luck and be Safe!!

I couldn't agree more with this statement thank you for writing it tight lines.

Totally agree.

Talking about safe ice how is the ice in Port Bolster area still good for fishing

obviously, there was an off shore wind blowing. I was reading a statement made by one of the guys brought back to shore. he said he knew that it wasn't a good idea but he drove 2.5 hours to get there and didn't want to waste the 5 hours round trip, so went out anyway. At some point people have to take account for their own actions. I agree there are accidents and things happen outside of our control and we need help, but when you do stupid things and knowingly do these stupid things maybe you should have to pay for your stupidity. Like crossing a pressure crack with an off shore wind and open water out further. yes the first responders are paid for this kind of work, but should the stupid people really put these helpers life's at risk, yes, but maybe they should pay after the fact.

this happens every year with the same discussion. Best line I have heard was a few years ago, "hey they (1st responders) are paid to rescue people so I will do what I want and they can come rescue me if required". I still have to shake my head.

I know there will never be an end to this debate, and we will always pay for others stupidity, because we as good people can't just let someone pay with their life for stupidity,

Agree with all that has been said even if the points can be different from each other. I was thinking that out of the 23, did no one think it was a bad idea to go out with that kind of wind in the forecast, open water on the side to with a strong wind would blow the ice sheet, rained like crazy a few days before, ice looked a bit sketchy already, etc., etc. but good to know someone was thinking. But very bad to know that "thinking" person decided it was worth risking his life over a "5 hour" trip (maybe have a back-up plan to fish somewhere else if that trip fails to pan out if he didn't want to waste a 5 hr trip?). And I don't know if there was someone (of the 23) who actually fished that ice frequently enough this winter to know the ice situation or has watched and tested the ice frequently? Not going alone was a good safety precaution...until everyone decides to listen to one or two "stronger" opinions or is influenced by someone who they trust or thinks would know better than they would. Then it becomes a huge rescue effort of 23 people.
Now, if anyone of those 23 does something like that again...I don't mean going ice fishing but if they decide to jump ice floes, fishing really thin weak ice early or late in the season without really knowing, etc., etc. then, I think that is another matter. Rescuers or no rescuers, it would be a matter of time beyond just shady ice conditions, other things can happen at the same time that almost no one will think about...an older, more robust person with heart issue, etc., etc. Anyway, it's very good that everyone made if off without real issues and wow, have to say that those rescuers were quite impressive!!!

When we say no ice is safe ice, we mean it sincerely. Unfortunately, when you talk to most of the general public who don't ice fish, they often view all ice fishermen as irresponsible and putting first responders at risk. In some ways, they may have a point. Thankfully, all these lads made it home safely, serving as a reminder for all of us to always exercise good judgment and keep risk to a minimum. Tight lines and lets all play safe out there.