Five things I learned today from this "truck fell through the ice" article...

[Josh]

I have lived in the western part of Cascadia all my life. So I've never spent a winter anywhere that it gets REALLY cold. Around here, as most of you know, lakes only freeze once in a long while. So ice fishing isn't really a "thing" in these parts. Which is fine by me as it sounds deathly boring.

But I do know that it's a popular pastime and that people do drive on the ice. But this article taught me some interesting facts...

Sunken Ford Super Duty Dives 22 Feet Into Frozen Lake With Trailer Attached

The driver of this Ford Super Duty on a frozen Minnesota lake rolled over a big crack and sent his truck straight through the ice.

www.thedrive.com

1. Not only do people drive on ice, but they are willing to do it multiple MILES away from shore?
2. Someone thought a full size 3/4 ton pickup pulling a giant trailer was the right vehicle for such an adventure?
3. Cars going through the ice is such a common occurrence that there are towing and recovery companies that specialize in pulling cars back out?
4. Of all the things that insurance won't cover, somehow this guy is going to get his truck fixed/replaced because companies cover frozen lake driving?
5. People are still ice driving despite this being an incredibly warm winter across the US and MN breaking high temperature records in January?

 

[EB590]

Couple more comments/clarifications:

The roofing shingle wrap on that truck is sweet as fuck.

The video said f350, if that's the case it's a 1 ton truck.

 

[Josh]

The video said f350, if that's the case it's a 1 ton truck.

Ahhh, I couldn't tell from the photos. Was guessing f250.

One ton makes the story even worse.

 

[Billy]

Not sure I would stand under the make shift lifting frame...

 

[krusty]

Seeley Lake MT had snowmobile races on the frozen lake...the surface is prepped for the race with a full sized road plow. Back in the 1980's the plow and the driver broke through the ice...and went straight to the bottom. Driver drowned.

In 2014 and 2018, same lake, both years, two snowmobilers drowned when they went through the ice.

Seems like a damned stupid thing to risk one's life for. I guess it's all perfectly safe...until it's not.

 

[Driftless Dan]

'Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.'
-George Carlin.

 

[PhilR]

Seeley Lake MT had snowmobile races on the frozen lake...the surface is prepped for the race with a full sized road plow. Back in the 1980's the plow and the driver broke through the ice...and went straight to the bottom. Driver drowned.

In 2014 and 2018, same lake, two snowmobilers drowned when they went through the ice.

Seems like a damned stupid thing to risk one's life for.

I’ll echo everyone’s wtf regarding ice fishing. I also saw something online about how a snowmobile hit a pile of ice from a fisherman’s ice hole and was killed. Apparently people also get hurt when they run into white wrapped hay bales in farm fields.

 

[Brian in OR.]

Ahhh, I couldn't tell from the photos. Was guessing f250.

One ton makes the story even worse.

3/4 or 1 ton has nothing to do with the truck weight

 

[Josh]

3/4 or 1 ton has nothing to do with the truck weight

I get what you are saying. But according to numbers I've seen, f350's weigh more than f250's, generally, just due to being bigger/sturdier trucks. That's what I was commenting on. Not that the payload was directly indicative of weight.

 

[Brian in OR.]

Whats amazing is that they put the crane system next to the hole and pulled the truck out. You would have thought the whole contraption would have fell through with all the added weight etc.

 

[krusty]

'Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.'
-George Carlin.

George should have more correctly used 'median'....but the basic intent is quite true.

 

[krusty]

I get what you are saying. But according to numbers I've seen, f350's weigh more than f250's, generally, just due to being bigger/sturdier trucks. That's what I was commenting on. Not that the payload was directly indicative of weight.

I'm sure the entire extraction process load calculations were completed by competent rocket surgeons.

 

[Yard Sale]

I used to be a sales rep for West Marine and my territory was the GL area. Went back in January once to meet customers during the slow season(on the way back from annual meeting n Florida no less). Cold as F in Green Bay in late January but the good folks took care of me. So weird driving down a boat ramp and onto the ice. Guys took me ice fishing and some of those "shacks" are crazy. Full on man caves on ice, some bigger than the house I was renting at the time. Ice fishing was fun, but drifting a rental car on ice was way better!

 

[Stonedfish]

Always wanted to do this but was never there at the right time of year.
SF

 

[wanderingrichard]

So, wondering if there's fines ? does he have to file an EIS? Pay for clean up of any fuel/oil leaked into the lake ??

 

[Bass-O-Matic]

I sent a DM to Darwin on this.

 

[Starfish]

 

[NukeLDO]

In my younger stupider days, I drove my Suburban out on the ice on the lakes in Maine.
Ice was 3 ft thick...at least in places.
Until a coworker drove their kids out on the ice and broke through.
One kid rescued, the other under water for 20 minutes and permanently brain damaged.
Thus ended my ice fishing days.

 

[up2nogood]

I went ice fishing “ONCE “

 

[Driftless Dan]

My main fishing buddy likes to ice fish; I go with him once a year or so. he fits all he needs into a sort of sled/bucket thing that one person can easily haul.

But sitting on a bucket dunking a tiny ice fishing rod into a 7" hole in the ice while simultaneously watching two or three tip-ups in the remote chance one of them might have a bass or northern on the end, so you can hand line them in. I just can't get excited. I have a very short attention span so I need to walk up or down a stream while I'm fishing.