# 150 Ice fisherman rescued off breakaway ice floe. What happens to their vehicles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849 "2009-02-07T23:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/1 "2009-02-07T23:25:32Z")
[Story](http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/07/Ohio.stuck.on.ice/index.html#cnnSTCVideo) (CNN) – One person died Saturday after he fell in the water when an ice floe broke away from land in western Lake Erie, a Coast Guard spokesman told CNN. > [@](#): > > People were stuck when an 8-mile-long chunk of Lake Erie ice broke away near Toledo, Ohio. “We have rescued more than 150 people, and unfortunately there were two people in the water,” Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Robert Lanier said. “One of the people was recovered and brought to shore,” but the other man was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital. > > Coast Guard aircraft were surveying the ice floe to make sure everyone had been recovered, Lanier said. [Video](http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/07/Ohio.stuck.on.ice/index.html#cnnSTCVideo) Are all those quads and snowmobiles going to the bottom of the lake? ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/2 "2009-02-08T00:06:04Z")
I would imagine if the temps allow for a re-freeze, the owners will simply go out and get the gear if thieves don’t get there first. The gear, as there’s a lot of it, will likely be tracked by officials in the area. However, if the ice breaks up in the waves, or it continues to melt, the gear will be lost into the lake at which point the owners could face fines for various pollution regulations. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/3 "2009-02-08T00:12:56Z")
Quite likely, yes. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/4 "2009-02-08T00:32:11Z")
That Sheriff who was interviewed in the video sounded pissed. He said that those people never should have been out on that part of the ice, as it should have been clear that the ice was thin. He said that if he had his way “we would have had 150 arrests out there today.” ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/5 "2009-02-08T00:42:32Z")
I believe it was the winter of 1976-77 that the Chesapeake Bay froze solid and Sharps Island Light was pushed over and tilted by the floes of ice. It remains like that to this day. The lady who lives nearby, on the South River, told me “the kids were driving their VW bugs on the frozen river and the police did not dare go out to get them”. Sounds like a good way to drop through thin ice and never be seen again. Photos and locations: Sharps Island Light [http://www.panoramio.com/photo/185077](http://www.panoramio.com/photo/185077) [http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4777966](http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4777966) Bloody Point Bar Light, MD [http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4926775](http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4926775) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/6 "2009-02-08T02:01:22Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > That Sheriff who was interviewed in the video sounded pissed. He said that those people never should have been out on that part of the ice, as it should have been clear that the ice was thin. He said that if he had his way “we would have had 150 arrests out there today.” That sheriff was absolutely right. There is a subculture of macho stupidity in that area, and this is not an isolated incident by any means. The ice was already separated from the land, and these idiots put planks across the gap, to drive onto the ice. They knew it was going to be a warm day with a southerly wind, and they were well aware of the dangers. They put themselves and the rescuers at risk, and ran up a huge bill for the taxpayers. The authorities should confiscate the vehicles (if it’s safe to do so) and sell them to pay for the rescue. Actually, instead of being rescued, they should have been allowed to remove themselves from the gene pool. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/7 "2009-02-08T02:48:01Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > … instead of being rescued, they should have been allowed to remove themselves from the gene pool. If stupidity made anyone ineligible for rescue, there would be a lot less work for the Coast Guard and most rescue squads. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/8 "2009-02-08T04:14:39Z")
All it would take is a hovercraft and a couple of canoes to pull a 4-wheeler off the ice. ---
**Author:** ![unclelem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ac91a4/32.png) [@unclelem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclelem)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/9 "2009-02-08T04:22:07Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [URL=“[Sheriff: Stranded fishermen 'should have known better' - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/07/Ohio.stuck.on.ice/index.html#cnnSTCVideo)”]Are all those quads and snowmobiles going to the bottom of the lake? … and even automobiles, pickup trucks and SUVs some years. I used to live up there, and this happened fairly regularly. The rescue teams will not help the stranded folks rescue their equipment, but there is often a salvage company or two that will do it once it has been declared abandoned. I don’t know if they “ransom” the stuff back to the owners, or just auction it off. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/10 "2009-02-08T19:44:37Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > All it would take is a hovercraft and a couple of canoes to pull a 4-wheeler off the ice. Easier said than done, when you’ve got to clear out eels just to get the canoes in, much less the 4-wheeler. Seriously, how fscking bad is this going to be for the environment? That’s going to be tons of motor oil and gasoline.. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/11 "2009-02-08T19:52:02Z")
> [@Mr.Slant](#): > > Easier said than done, \*\*when you’ve got to clear out eels just to get the canoes in, much less the 4-wheeler. > \*\* > Seriously, how fscking bad is this going to be for the environment? That’s going to be tons of motor oil and gasoline.. Could you explain that please? I can’t make head nor tail of it 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/12 "2009-02-08T19:54:01Z")
> [@Myglaren](#): > > Could you explain that please? I can’t make head nor tail of it 😕 It’s a Monty Python reference - “My hovercraft is full of eels.” ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/13 "2009-02-08T20:11:37Z")
> [@Mr.Slant](#): > > Seriously, how fscking bad is this going to be for the environment? The ice was reported to be more than a foot thick, so it should take a while to melt. Not sure if it will happen, but that would give industrious folks time to find boats including a small barge and organize the retrieval of most or all the stranded vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/14 "2009-02-08T20:28:27Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > All it would take is a hovercraft and a couple of canoes to pull a 4-wheeler off the ice. Out of curiosity, is this a serious suggestion? It seems within the realm of possibility that a canoe could support the weight of half a 4-wheeler if the weight was properly distributed, but I can’t tell if you’re joking. If you’re serious, have you ever seen this done? Got pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/15 "2009-02-08T20:48:59Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > It’s a Monty Python reference - “My hovercraft is full of eels.” For reference: [http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/hungry.htm](http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/hungry.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/16 "2009-02-08T23:15:56Z")
It takes very little to float an ATV. I would think the owners will go back out and get them. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened and won’t be the last. As for petroleum spills, it would be nice to not have it happen, but it’s not even close to being an environmental catastrophe if the vehicles do go in the lake. There is no way the owners of trucks will let the vehicles just go down. It will cost them a lot more to have them removed from the lake bottom, and pay the fines than to have somebody fetch them now and get back a running vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/17 "2009-02-08T23:56:38Z")
Let’s say all150 resuced folk have F150s with full 30 gallon fuel tanks. Clearly that’s the worst case. We’re looking at 4500 gallons of gasoline and ~300 gallons of motor oil. I’d wager more than that washes off the streets of Detroit & Cleveland into the lake every day it rains. That’s ~650 cubic \*feet \* of petroleum, and Lake Erie is about 115 cubic _miles of water. In other words, it’ll raise the petroleum content of the lake by 650/(52805280_115) = 0.2 parts per million = 200 parts per billion. Not even a visible mess, much less a crisis. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/18 "2009-02-09T00:07:56Z")
> [@me](#): > > Out of curiosity, is this a serious suggestion? It seems within the realm of possibility that a canoe could support the weight of half a 4-wheeler … Rereading, it occurs to me that you’re probably referring to a four-wheeled ATV, and not something like a Jeep. So yeah, obviously a couple of canoes would do the job. Forget I asked. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/19 "2009-02-09T00:09:05Z")
I understand that cars that sink in salt water are worthless-the salt will eventually eat them up, and also short out all of the electrical system. However, fresh water must be more benign-can vehicles be revover from a lake bottom and restored to use? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849/20 "2009-02-09T00:40:36Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > It takes very little to float an ATV. I would think the owners will go back out and get them. [Here’s](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jko0cKBnJZTMYyoqnG6PlSGfIClgD967MKM00) today’s update on the story. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-ice-fisherman-rescued-off-breakaway-ice-floe-what-happens-to-their-vehicles/484849.md?page=2)