Simcoe Rescue Fines?

[Oggie]

I lost track of the final outcome. Did the guys on Simcoe that required rescue last winter get fined? I've heard so many versions and amounts I'm just curious. Don't really want to start the debate all over again but I'd like to know before I venture out on any kind of iffy ice.

 

Dan O.

[davey buoy]

I lost track of the final outcome. Did the guys on Simcoe that required rescue last winter get fined? I've heard so many versions and amounts I'm just curious. Don't really want to start the debate all over again but I'd like to know before I venture out on any kind of iffy ice.

 

Dan O.

 

Not sure about fines,but there was some community work or fund raising program for some I believe.

[mercman]

Don't really want to start the debate all over again but I'd like to know before I venture out on any kind of iffy ice.

 

Dan O.

 

So if there are no fines for rescue, that will affect your decission whether or not to "Venture out on any kind of iffy ice"???? Sheesh, i would think whether or not your life is at risk would be more the concern when on thin ice. Why would you even contemplate walking on "Iffy Ice" ???

[BucktownAngler]

So if there are no fines for rescue, that will affect your decission whether or not to "Venture out on any kind of iffy ice"???? Sheesh, i would think whether or not your life is at risk would be more the concern when on thin ice. Why would you even contemplate walking on "Iffy Ice" ???

 

was thinking the same thing

[mike rousseau]

So if there are no fines for rescue, that will affect your decission whether or not to "Venture out on any kind of iffy ice"???? Sheesh, i would think whether or not your life is at risk would be more the concern when on thin ice. Why would you even contemplate walking on "Iffy Ice" ???

 

 

Yup....

 

Not a wise way to go about ice safety....

 

I use judgment every day I'm on the ice.... Ill even spud my way out a mile even when I see others out there.... Unless I know its safe I check for myself... And if I'm wrong and need emergency support.... Ill deal with the consaquences laid out before me... Better then the alternative... A Rousseau Popsicle......

[craigdritchie]

I don't care if they were fined, but I would like to know they had to pay for the cost of the helicopter rescue - especially the idiots who were being rescued for the second time in a week! I have a major problem with my tax dollars being used to save people who are so obviously and incredibly stupid.

 

It isn't cost alone - they put their rescuers at risk too. Pretty selfish behaviour, if you ask me. Why anyone would knowingly head out on iffy ice is beyond me.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Craig_Ritchie

[Oggie]

I guess I see your points about iffy ice. I should select my words more carefully. I'm not a thrill seeker and I don't take any chances. I spud and all that stuff. I'm one of the last guys on the ice not one of the first. Having said that crap happens!

 

On one occasion last year, I was out on Cooks Bay and with over a foot of black ice so I felt quite safe. Then the wind direction changed from Northwest to Southeast in a very short period of time. The main lake wasn't frozen so I headed for shore (knowing the ice would likely break free) and yup there was about 15' of newly opened water as the ice broke away. I walked the edge for over a km until I could find a reasonable way off. So if a rescue is required I am liable???

 

I know, I know.....never go one the ice until it's completely safe. Funny.... it's always guys that don't ice fish much that offer up that kind of advice. Stay off the banks of swollen river during the spring .... anybody a steelheader here???? How many guys are on those streams during spring runoff! I know I am.

 

And yeah a $2200 bill would make me head for shore alot quicker. They're passing along the cost as a message and a deterrent to ice fishers.

 

Dan O.

[BillM]

definitely happens, but like Craig mentioned the guys that got stuck twice should be paying heft hefty fines, that's just Darwinism at work if you ask me.

 

Also, why are you fishing rivers when they are blown out and chocolate milk in the spring? LOL

[aplumma]

Lets continue this as a question and not as a judgement please. I would like to know what the follow up of this was.

 

Thanks

 

 

Art

[BucktownAngler]

Lets continue this as a question and not as a judgement please. I would like to know what the follow up of this was.

 

Thanks

 

 

Art

 

 

 

Google is your friend...i just copied and pasted the thread title into google. its the 3rd link.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anglers rescued from Lake Simcoe ice floe ordered to pay $200 each

 

Published on Wednesday March 28, 2012

 

The Township of Oro-Medonte will require the 26 fishermen who became stranded on an ice floe on Lake Simcoe earlier this month to pay back some of the costs for the rescue.

 

Council made the decision late Wednesday night, after receiving a report and recommendation from the local fire department.

 

“The fire people concluded that there was not evidence of good judgment being used by the fishermen when they went out on the ice,” said Harry Hughes, mayor of Oro-Medonte. “So our final recommendation was that the township should seek to recover costs,” he said. “The total cost would come out to about $200 per person rescued.”

 

On March 9, the men became stranded on Lake Simcoe after a dramatic change in wind direction forced the ice where dozens were fishing to suddenly crack away from shore. There had been warnings posted days earlier by the Ontario Provincial Police to stay off the ice due to unseasonably warm weather.

 

The township adopted a fees and charges bylaw two years ago to deter people from taking unnecessary risks on the lake, but it had never been enforced. Fines include $200 an hour for the air boat, and $100 an hour per staff member. More than 20 people were needed to bring the anglers to safety and the boat was used for about four hours.

 

Oro-Medonte calculated its costs alone as $4,875. The figure does not include the costs of other municipalities or the OPP.

 

The four-hour ordeal involved Oro-Medonte firefighters, an OPP helicopter and officers from Barrie. Three other municipalities and a military team from Trenton were on standby. The OPP said they would not fine the men.

 

Some of the fishermen, who attended the council meeting, said they would organize a slo-pitch softball tournament to help recover some of the costs.

 

“The costs can be recovered through revenues generated through community services and if that doesn't occur, then we will be taking efforts to deal with those individuals who don't contribute,” said Hughes.

 

The evening also gave the anglers a chance to thank some of the firefighters and OPP officers who helped rescue them, he said.

 

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1153484--anglers-rescued-from-lake-simcoe-ice-floe-ordered-to-pay-200-each

[mercman]

Google is your friend...i just copied and pasted the thread title into google. its the 3rd link.

 

 

A vastly under expoited resource, and veritable cornucopia of information, that Google.

[aplumma]

That is the ticket.

 

 

Thanks

 

Art

[Garnet]

Why are we fishing river when chocolate. Same reason nobody listen to OPP when they say stay off ice.

 

They never say the ice is safe because nobody at the OPP knows if the ice is safe.

 

Ever time we get rain the conservation authority issue standard statement "banks slippery,water high rivers unsafe".

 

They never say river safe you can go fishing because nobody at the conservation authority knows if the river are safe.

 

So nobody listens to idiot statements we go down look and decide.

[Oggie]

Ok thanks for the thread and the update. Yeah I know Google is my friend but old guys always tend to go to the horses mouth.

 

At the risk of starting another hijacking, the fine sounds fair and I agree with Craig. Mistakes happen but when people don't take reasonable precautions then a fine is fair IMO.

 

I like chocolate milk Bill! Well a day after the chocolate milk actually.

 

Dan O.

[Terry]

well hind sight is a wonderful thing and sure they look stupid for going on the ice that day..

 

but when people drive in bad weather, ski down hills in icy conditions, people going out in the fog

 

hell, cliff climbers, hand gliders , people who jump out of perfectly sound aircraft play hockey ...if we charge the ice fisherperson should not all be charged.............then it's fair

[irishfield]

Well said Terry...

 

..and those complaining about their tax dollars being used for the helicopter. I'm glad to see the $5000/hr we put into the OPP egg beater put to a good use, instead of just milling around Simcoe County burning fuel and putting hours in the pilots logs. The crew is on every day... it's usually in the air every day.. and there was no additional cost for it's use on said day to go save a few lives!

 

..and by the way, that approximate $5k/hour for each helicopter (fuel/maintenance/crew/etc) doesn't even start to put a dent in the depreciaton or acquisiton costs at 6.25 MILLION dollars each.

Edited December 29, 2012 by irishfield

[BucktownAngler]

well hind sight is a wonderful thing and sure they look stupid for going on the ice that day..

 

but when people drive in bad weather, ski down hills in icy conditions, people going out in the fog

 

hell, cliff climbers, hand gliders , people who jump out of perfectly sound aircraft play hockey ...if we charge the ice fisherperson should not all be charged.............then it's fair

 

 

hmmm...not when there was a warning to stay off the ice due to unsafe condtions. and those people chose to ignore the warnings.

 

fair?

[Terry]

they made the same warnings almost every single day of last winter and every other winter

 

again they made the same warning every single day last winter...so one day out of 60 they were right

 

you can't cry wolf every day the say I told you so the one day of the year it comes true

 

 

and icefishing happens to be one of the safest winter sports in canada.....

 

so when they say don't go on roads if you don't have to..you should have to pay for rescue and I guess your insurance should not pay for your damage, cause you were warned...sorry you statement doesn't hold water.....

[Joey]

they made the same warnings almost every single day of last winter and every other winter

 

again they made the same warning every single day last winter...so one day out of 60 they were right

 

you can't cry wolf every day the say I told you so the one day of the year it comes true

 

 

and icefishing happens to be one of the safest winter sports in canada.....

 

so when they say don't go on roads if you don't have to..you should have to pay for rescue and I guess your insurance should not pay for your damage, cause you were warned...sorry you statement doesn't hold water.....

 

Yup!

[BucktownAngler]

they made the same warnings almost every single day of last winter and every other winter

 

again they made the same warning every single day last winter...so one day out of 60 they were right

 

you can't cry wolf every day the say I told you so the one day of the year it comes true

 

 

and icefishing happens to be one of the safest winter sports in canada.....

 

so when they say don't go on roads if you don't have to..you should have to pay for rescue and I guess your insurance should not pay for your damage, cause you were warned...sorry you statement doesn't hold water.....

 

i dont recall seeing any warnings until late in the season before these guys got stranded. and at that time it was justified (warm temps, high winds)

 

one of the guys who was rescued had been rescued 2 times previously. you cant fix stupid i guess

 

your statement doesnt hold water bud.

[Hoppy]

i dont recall seeing any warnings until late in the season before these guys got stranded. and at that time it was justified (warm temps, high winds)

 

one of the guys who was rescued had been rescued 2 times previously. you cant fix stupid i guess

 

your statement doesnt hold water bud.

 

The boy who cried wolf thing is very true. I live here on the west side of Simcoe and according to the multiple police forces and therefore the local media there is never safe ice. On the local tv station OPP, South Simcoe and Barrie officers push the idea there is no such thing as safe ice. I have never heard a positive ice report from the authorities in the forty years I've been ice fishing here. Sure you hear "lots of good ice from hut operator's" or the OFSC trail across the lake from them which is a good sign. But even they say the only safe option on the lake is on they marked trail. The most positive the media center ever gets is to check with the local hut operators when pressured by the same, this issue drives them nuts too.

 

So if you don't go when there are warnings then you don't fish!

[Terry]

i dont recall seeing any warnings until late in the season before these guys got stranded. and at that time it was justified (warm temps, high winds)

 

one of the guys who was rescued had been rescued 2 times previously. you cant fix stupid i guess

 

your statement doesnt hold water bud.

 

I live in the area and I did hear warnings from fire/ police and the local tv station every single day last winter

the fact that you did not hear/see all the warnings all winter long gives those guys an out..maybe they did not hear the warnings, after all you missed them all winter long

and sure the guys that got rescued twice b are stupid and that was mother nature tiring to remove them from the gene pool..

 

but you are still wrong, there were so many warnings all winter long, it was like a nagging wife...........

and to not loose sight... the point is ...if fishermen have to pay..then all rescues should pay.....damn fishermen are becoming a cash cow for townships theses days and you guys are playing right into they hands..

 

hey anglers park here...answer lets charge for parking for vehicles with trailers...a park with a ramp..lets charge for launching (no one else gets charged for using the park)

guys are fishing the river answer lets make the buy an Essa fishing license to access the river ( anyone else can access use the river free but have a rod and you pay) a guy can bring their kids and dog and the can play in the river throw sticks in the river(so you can fish) and they don't pay but you with the rod pays

 

 

 

yeah guys continue to agree that fishermen have to pay for services that everyone else gets for free

 

but don't complain when more and more fishing things become pay to play...go ahead and support the wrong side

 

or at lest think about it before you talk/type

 

 

and it is surprising that more guys are not stepping up and agreeing with me ..it is not about if the guys were stupid, it's should we pay when no other group does..

people debating this issue will find this thread on google and you guys are stating it is fine to make fishermen pay for everything.....

Edited December 29, 2012 by Terry

[soobnoob]

Food for thought...Isn't this more or less like taking a ride in an ambulance? Which you have to pay for!!

 

 

Should ohip stop covering idiots?

 

So when they calculated cost/staff... Weren't those staff being paid their salaries anyways? Do firefighters get paid extra when they do their job?

[Terry]

as long as everyone has to pay equally for services, I have no problem with them paying......but this was a fine the township imposed and do they do that for every rescue everywhere...no,

this is a fishermen tax..get used to it

[johnnyb]

Terry is right on the button.