Just by the nature of their wide array of outdoor pastimes, Maine sportsmen put themselves in harm’s way on a regular basis. Snowmobile accidents, ATV rollovers, firearm mishaps, falls from tree stands, and chainsaw injuries are all too frequent occurrences. Summer anglers slip and fall, capsize boats, and hook themselves or a fishing partner way too frequently with flies and lures. As serious as many of these casualties might be, it’s the winter misadventures where someone goes through thin ice that are truly life threatening.

Although most regional lakes are currently wearing a heavy coat of ice, unseasonably warm weather throughout December and most of January made earlier ventures onto Maine waterways extremely treacherous. Only this two-week-plus cold snap with subzero nighttime temperatures has led to safer ice conditions. Nonetheless every lake should receive individual scrutiny. The prime dictum before proceeding onto any frozen surface on foot, via ATV or snowmobile, and especially in a vehicle is to personally and definitively gauge ice thickness.

Be aware

Whether an outdoorsman is just quickly crossing one of Maine’s frozen gems on a snowsled or spending the entire day drilling holes and tending tip-ups, it’s always beneficial to be familiar with that particular waterway. If you don’t have personal experience with a particular lake or pond, the second best option is to accompany a trustworthy, safe-minded companion who does have first hand knowledge. Perhaps 90 percent of a lake is covered with a foot of solid blue ice, but it’s the several spots with only 2- to 4-inches of honeycomb ice that comprise the dangerous 10 percent that will unexpectedly drop you in the drink.

Each and every winter waterway hides a few soft spots or thin-ice areas that may be dangerously concealed beneath a matte of snow. Inlets, outlets, and thoroughfare mouths, where a steady current prevents as thick a layer of ice from forming as will over stagnant water, should be avoided. Spring holes, pressure ridges along the ice surface, and near bridge or wharf abutments are a few of the other locations where less than optimal ice thickness is likely to occur. Ice fishermen and fur trappers working lake shorelines and beaver ponds must be aware of such thin spots on particular waterways and avoid them. When visiting a new location, the only sure way to confirm safe ice is to personally test thickness as you proceed.

Just because you see another person on a pond, or even a snowmobile, an ATV, or an ice hut, take nothing for granted and check the area you’re going to travel and fish anyway. Perhaps they arrived from a different approach route and the ice is thicker in that particular area. Although using a gas auger to drill test holes is quick and simple, I prefer a large-handled sharp-edged ice chisel. First off, the chisel is lighter than the auger and less weight on thin ice is a good thing. Secondly, I carry the chisel parallel to the ice like a tightrope walker, a trick that has kept more than one sportsman from dropping clear through broken ice when the extended ends of the chisel caught on the edges of a hole.

Two or three good whacks with a sturdy ice spud should easily reach a depth of 4 inches, a depth proven to support an adult horse. If the first stroke draws water, there’s probably 2 inches or less of ice and it might be time to rethink your route, if not the entire outing. When checking ice depths, it’s always good to have a partner along who can stay well behind but offer assistance if you should break through the ice.

Wearing some sort of flotation device is a good idea if ice depth is suspect and a buddy is nearby, and it’s essential if an outdoorsman is alone. The new personal flotation devices that resemble suspenders and automatically inflate via CO2 cartridge when submerged are fairly inconspicuous, comfortable, and very effective. I was kind of self-conscious the first time I donned a PFD in the dead of winter, and then I pictured myself floundering around in freezing water trying to stay afloat and climb out with all my heavy clothing and suddenly how I looked wasn’t very important.

Dark snow and dark ice are often signs of weak spots that should be avoided, as are areas of very clear or honeycombed ice. If ice along the shoreline is spongy or cracked and soggy, stay off it. Be on the look out for branches sticking up on open stretches of ice and snow. They are often placed by conscientious sportsmen to mark a recent auger hole, a crack, or a pressure ridge.

Man overboard

Even when an outdoorsman takes all precautions, once in awhile it’s not enough and the worst-case scenario happens. When the ice under your feet cracks or begins to break apart, certain actions and reactions will help save your life. Above all else, try to remain calm and avoid panicking. If ice crackles, spider webs, and depresses underfoot, lay down at once, spread eagle to distribute your weight, and then use a slow swimming motion across the precarious surface toward shore and thicker ice.

If without warning you go through ice, whether on foot or snowmobile, the first step is to stay afloat and work your way to the edge of the hole. Working quickly before hands and fingers become numb or shock sets in, find a solid edge, even if this means breaking away some thin ice. Rather than trying to lift your weight onto the edge, extend your arms fully along the ice surface and kick your legs fast and hard as if in a swim race. Done properly, this motion will help scoot the body onto the ice, and then a swim-like crawl or even rolling the body should distribute weight enough to gain more solid ice.

Most sporting goods stores carry an inexpensive item, less than $10, that can aid a person getting back onto the ice once they have fallen through. Manufactured in various forms by several companies, this tool is a set of ice picks: two pieces of wood or plastic with a 2-inch sharp, metal spike protruding, and each handgrip is connected to the other with a length of cord. In some models the ice picks retract into the handle when not in use. An ice fisherman wears the cord around his neck with the picks hanging on either side for a quick access. With one pick in each hand, a man can actually get a purchase by driving them onto the ice and pulling himself forward while kicking in the water. These ice picks prevent slipping back over the edge, and once out, aid in propelling oneself to safer ice.

Save someone

Perhaps someone else has gone through the ice, maybe a fishing buddy, and it’s up to you to provide help. Above all else it’s imperative that you don’t also end up in the frigid water, so proceed with due haste but with great care. If possible, find a rope, long branch, or piece of wood or pipe to extend for the victim to grab onto. A belt, tie-down strap or jacket will do in a pinch. The rescuer should slide forward on his belly and extend the item to the edge of the ice hole and, once secured, wiggle and crab-crawl backward pulling while the man in the water kicks to help.

If more than one person is at hand, it’s possible to lay down, grab the ankles of the person in front, and form a human chain to secure the victim’s hands and pull them to safety. If any camps are nearby, look for a ladder, a hose, or an extension cord to extend. If a canoe or small boat is stored at the camp, push it over the ice to the hole to reach the person in the water and stay afloat if the ice breaks under you.

If you’re in a truck that begins to drop through the ice, usually trying to back up isn’t an option once the front wheels go down and the vehicle is resting on the frame. Open the doors at once, they may serve as wings that fetch up and support the truck for awhile, allowing occupants to escape. Also, since most new models have electric windows, the open door will allow a quicker escape if the truck goes under. With the doors closed and the windows inoperable, the truck will have to be fully submerged before equalized pressure will allow the doors to be forced open and then the occupants must reach the surface and hope to find the open hole in the ice to escape.

Once a person is finally on solid ground again after going through the ice, the next step is to stave off hypothermia. Dry clothes, warm blankets, a heated vehicle or camp, or even a campfire if you’re in a remote area, are the first step. Regardless of how good the person feels, they should still be examined by medical personnel at the earliest opportunity, just to rule out possible aftereffects.

There’s no question that early and late in the winter are the most likely times to go through the ice, but like this year, that can be a very nebulous time period to pinpoint. Even now, after bitter cold weather, there are some unsafe locations on many waterways, and these are even more dangerous since sportsmen feel safer now. No matter where, no matter when, ice thickness must always be a prime concern for winter outdoorsmen. Cut out the following reference chart, place it in your wallet, and refer to it before risking the life of a family member, a friend, or yourself. Be aware, be safe.

Ice thickness Load-bearing ability

In inches of clear blue ice

2 one person walking

3 several people, single file

4-5 1 horse, snowmobile and rider

7.5 passenger car, 2-ton gross

8 light truck, 2.5-ton gross

10 medium truck, 3.5-ton gross

12 heavy truck, 7- to 8-ton gross

15 10 tons

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com

PHOTO BY BILL GRAVES

Jesse Saunders of Presque Isle proudly displays a 10-pound togue on Eagle Lake last February. Before venturing out on his snowmobile and heavy tote sled, he checked the ice thickness carefully.