Stay safe on the ice this winter

SUAMICO, WI- (WGBW) – The temperatures have gotten really cold. Then, in a few days, they rise again above the freezing point. This makes for sketchy, untrustworthy, and dangerous ice conditions. Several examples of people falling through the ice while fishing or walking along banks have been seen in recent weeks.

Tom Drzewiecki owns and operates Bayside Ice & Marine Recovery out of Suamico. He has years of experience recovering vehicles and rescuing people who fall through the ice.

“ It’s unpredictable out there. Never, never know what you’re going to come across. You could have two feet (of ice) in one place and in a hundred feet away, you could have open water,” said Drzewiecki. “It’s always changing.” 

Wisconsin is seeing the effects of an Alberta Clipper this week, and it’s cold. But Drzewiecki said, you can’t rely on any ice sticking around.

“Towards this weekend, we’re going to have a couple of cold nights. What little bit of ice we have in the inner bays will be walkable if you’re careful! But, into next week, close to Christmas, we’re going to have some 40-degree days,” Drzewiecki said. “We might not lose much ice this time of year, but we’re not going to gain ice either. And you get a little bit of sun on a 40-degree day. That ice will, the thickness will be there, but the ice will start to bend, and it’ll get to a weakened state.”

To stay safe when venturing on the ice this winter, Drzewiecki has a list of things you should always have with you.

“You should fish with somebody else. You need a charged cell phone. You need a noise-making device. You need an air horn. You need a whistle.” Drzewiecki added, “These ice picks that go around your neck for a self-rescue. They’re like two little ice picks on little handles. They’ve been around for probably 50 years. They work very well.”

He said the most important thing ice fishers must do is let someone know where they are going. 

Drzewiecki also said float suits are very helpful if you should go through the ice. While they won’t keep you warm, they will keep you buoyant and keep you higher in the water. 

Drzewiecki said the snowfall we got yesterday on top of the thin ice will be messy and dangerous as the temperatures rise over the next week. 

Drzewiecki was a guest on the Maino and the Mayor Show on Civic Media stations, WGBW and WISS.