Snowmobiler hailed as hero

[Spiel]

Snowmobiler hailed as hero

 

 

March 11, 2010

DAVE JOHNSON / www.wellandtribune.ca

 

 

A 19-year-old Ridgeway man is being called a hero by fellow anglers after he rescued a number of them from the ice of Lake Erie.

 

Barrett Johnson was fishing off of Pleasant Beach Rd., between three and four kilometres from the shoreline, when he noticed water coming up through fishing holes cut into the ice.

 

 

"Right away I noticed the water ... and my dad taught me that when you see that, you get off the ice," said Johnson.

 

He quickly packed up his gear and headed for shore on his sled snowmobile with a friend on the back.

 

Heading toward the shore, he saw a large crack had developed.

 

Johnson drove his sled across 30 metres of open water to get to shore.

 

"The ice was exploding behind me," he said.

 

Once on land, Johnson headed back out and grabbed three more anglers, bringing them to shore.

 

There were about 20 anglers out on the ice at the time, most between three and four kilometres from shore.

 

"I asked everyone if I should call the fire department and they said yes."

 

Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services and Niagara Regional Police responded to Pleasant Beach Rd. and Sherkston Shores and Johnson waited for them to arrive.

 

Once on scene, fire Chief Tom Cartwright and a police sergeant discussed their options and decided to call the Erie County Sheriff's Office for assistance.

 

"We alerted Trenton, but the (Canadian Coast Guard) chopper there was (several) hours away, too far to assist us," said Cartwright.

 

The sheriff department's helicopter quickly arrived on scene as anglers on all-terrain vehciles were making their way back to shore.

 

Cartwright said the helicopter rescued one man from the ice who was out there walking his dog.

 

The man had become trapped behind the crack and couldn't make his way in safely.

 

"We're very appreciative of the help Erie County Sheriff provided us," said Cartwright, adding the fire department has never received a bill from the county for use of its helicopter.

 

Standing on shore watching the helicopter make passes in the area, to check for any stragglers, angler Dan Gilmore spoke about Johnson's efforts.

 

"He's the hero here," Gilmore said.

 

When told about the hero comment, Johnson said he didn't really feel like one.

 

"I just did what any Good Samaritan would have done."

 

As he thought about the situation though, Johnson said the heroic part may have been when he got the other anglers across "I've crossed open water before up north, by choice, but never because I've had to," he said.

 

Gilmore had to jump his quad across a crack in the ice.

 

Angler Leo Larabie also drove his quad across a crack in the ice after finding a safe path to the shore.

 

A number of anglers followed Larabie's path, said Gilmore.

 

The two men said a number of anglers huddled together on the ice and when Larabie found a safe path, everyone followed him in.

 

"We just made it," said Larabie. All three men said the situation developed very quickly.

 

"When we went out there, the conditions were perfect," said Gilmore.

 

The crack developed, the men said, at about 3:30 p.m. and took 10 to 15 minutes to break away from the shore.

 

"We were on a huge ice floe," said Gilmore.

 

"The ice is done, no one should be out there now," he added.

 

Car twright agreed with Gilmore's assessment.

 

"The ice has been deteriorating very quickly because of warm weather and with several days of rain expected, it will only get worse," he said.

 

Larabie won't be going back out on the ice at all this year.

 

"I learned my lesson. This is my fifth year of ice fishing out here and this is the first time I've ever been caught like this."

 

Cartwright said if anglers are going to be out on the ice, they should have cellphones or a way to contact someone for help and should have some sort of flotation device.

 

"They shouldn't be out there when it's deteriorating like this, though."

 

The chief, who is an ice fisherman himself, said he wouldn't go ice fishing on Lake Erie any time of the year.

 

"I personally don't believe this is a safe lake to ice fish on. There's a lot of wave action and all it takes is a little bit of open water and wind to make the ice crack," he said.

[jcaris]

WOW, that is quit the article

 

Way 2 go!!