Wednesday 3 March 2010

Spring Melt in Cottage Country

This is fair warning. While the Ottawa River is more likely to thaw faster than local, slower moving lakes, there have been several deaths over there.

I have seen snowmobiles out on melting ice, and their tracks show the evidence.


There are two stories...

"All of a sudden, the ice let go in front of them, the nose buckled in, and it started to sink," said David Inglis, a family friend of 37-year-old Lee Bourdon, who was driving the truck at the time.
Bourdon managed to open his door and get out but wasn't able to free his girlfriend, identified by Inglis as 38-year-old Rachel Taylor.



Ottawa River ice mishap leaves man missing
Police divers are preparing to resume the search for the body of a man presumed to have drowned after his truck broke through the ice of the Ottawa River near Petrie Island.

Man believed drowned after truck plunges through Ottawa River ice

1 Mar 2010 ... A Sudbury man is believed to have drowned Monday while attempting to tow a fishing shack off of the ice.

Divers pull man’s body from river

Ottawa Police and Fire rescue teams investigate a truck that went trhough the ice on the Ottawa River near Petrie Island in Ottawa
Ottawa Citizen

Divers recover drowned woman's body ...

22 Feb 2010 ... the Ottawa River was anything but for Lee Bourdon and his family. ... divers searched the depths of the river beneath the dark ice.
This video shows what happens to the ice, from  March 25th, 2009. It melts so quickly. This year, this past month of February has been very wet. There is a solid layer of ice under puddling melted snow water. You really must know the ice before venturing out.

8 comments:

Vagabonde said...

I think I’d get really upset if there were that many snowmobiles around us. We don’t leave in a rural area, only about 45 minutes from Atlanta, but we are not in a subdivision. There is one acre between our house and the people on the right of us, who are usually away in their country cabin. Then between us and the people on the left there is an acre lake, so we don’t even see them. We hear the cars go by but not too much. We have been in cabins in the north Georgia Mountains which are noisier. I have listened to your clips and these snowmobiles are really noisy. Don’t they hurt the wildlife with their noise? I know there are laws against pollution but are there some about noise pollution?

Jenn Jilks said...

It *is* upsetting, Vagabonde. There are noise pollution laws, but they are only by-laws. There are so few by-law officers, though. In summer, as in winter, they speed, too. We are pretty powerless. I've had a number of arguments with those who profess to own the lakes and the land and their machines for speed. Little thought for the wildlife.

Friko said...

you would think that people would learn, wouldn't you.
You'd think that they'd respect and understand nature and that they wouldn't risk the environment or their own lives.
But you'd be so often wrong.

Lucy said...

It is a dangerous time of year! Be careful all!

Mom To The Power Of Three said...

It is nice to see everything melting but I do agree that it is very dangerous, especially for children playing around waterways. I love the pictures of your tulips. They are a sign of good things to come!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Jill: Those are all so sad. Every year people do foolish things.

Jim said...

I bet you'll be glad when spring is in full swing.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

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