Rescuers save snowmobiler from icy Coralville Lake

[cigaretteman]

A snowmobiler fell through the ice Sunday on Coralville Lake and was rescued by the North Liberty Fire Department, according to the city.


The firefighters and Johnson County Ambulance Service were dispatched at 5:07 p.m. to an area just south of the Mehaffey Bridge Road Bridge, where they found a person in the water holding onto the ice.


Firefighters used ice rescue suits, a rapid deployment craft and ropes to rescue the individual from the water. One firefighter was injured in the rescue and was transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, along with the snowmobiler.


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The fire department said that because of widely variable weather conditions across Iowa, ice on the reservoir and in the Iowa River has deteriorated and refrozen quickly, which creates dangerous conditions for recreation.


“Additionally, the reservoir is a river with a current; this can also cause the ice to be unstable for recreation purposes. Taking risks on the ice also puts rescuers at risk, much like it did in this situation,” the city said in a statement. “Ice is never 100 percent safe. The emergency services urge the public to take the time to properly assess the ice before going out on it, and have a survival plan before recreating on the ice.”

Snowmobiler rescued from Coralville Reservoir

A snowmobiler fell through the ice Sunday on the Coralville Reservoir and was rescued by the North Liberty Fire Department, according to a news release from the city of North Liberty.

www.thegazette.com

 

[GOHOX69]

A snowmobiler fell through the ice Sunday on Coralville Lake and was rescued by the North Liberty Fire Department, according to the city.


The firefighters and Johnson County Ambulance Service were dispatched at 5:07 p.m. to an area just south of the Mehaffey Bridge Road Bridge, where they found a person in the water holding onto the ice.


Firefighters used ice rescue suits, a rapid deployment craft and ropes to rescue the individual from the water. One firefighter was injured in the rescue and was transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, along with the snowmobiler.


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The fire department said that because of widely variable weather conditions across Iowa, ice on the reservoir and in the Iowa River has deteriorated and refrozen quickly, which creates dangerous conditions for recreation.


“Additionally, the reservoir is a river with a current; this can also cause the ice to be unstable for recreation purposes. Taking risks on the ice also puts rescuers at risk, much like it did in this situation,” the city said in a statement. “Ice is never 100 percent safe. The emergency services urge the public to take the time to properly assess the ice before going out on it, and have a survival plan before recreating on the ice.”

Snowmobiler rescued from Coralville Reservoir

A snowmobiler fell through the ice Sunday on the Coralville Reservoir and was rescued by the North Liberty Fire Department, according to a news release from the city of North Liberty.

www.thegazette.com

Good job!

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

Glad that they were rescued, but they should pay for the rescue service...as it was ludicrous to be on the reservoir ice. Again, glad there was a good outcome, but there needs to be a stupid tax here too. Some rescuer(s) had to risk their life here in the absence of a good reason.

 

[McLovin32]

Glad that they were rescued, but they should pay for the rescue service...as it was ludicrous to be on the reservoir ice. Again, glad there was a good outcome, but there needs to be a stupid tax here too. Some rescuer(s) had to risk their life here in the absence of a good reason.

I couldn't agree more. What a dumb friggin thing to do on his part.

 

[MitchLL]

Snowmobiles are an expensive toy in Iowa. Many people get antsy the minute we get a light snow because, locally, it just doesn't snow much anymore.

Glad this situation wasn't more serious.

 

[Fan In Black]

great work by that team.

 

[cigaretteman]

I couldn't agree more. What a dumb friggin thing to do on his part.

If I remember correctly, the Wisconsin wrestling coach's brother died a few years back doing this. Yep, back in 2010:

https://www.murdochfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Martin-Marty-Davis-32474/#!/Obituary

 

[Fan In Black]

If I remember correctly, the Wisconsin wrestling coach's brother died a few years back doing this. Yep, back in 2010:

https://www.murdochfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Martin-Marty-Davis-32474/#!/Obituary

Barry Davis brother. He was an Iowa wrestling great and long time assistant to Gable.

 

[On Iowa]

I couldn't agree more. What a dumb friggin thing to do on his part.

The ice on the res is NEVER safe. Hell, there's open water right now. And when there is decent ice, the lake often drops level and the ice is unsupported and you can still fall through, and then it can be several feet down to the water. Good luck getting out of that alive. From what I've seen, a lot of snowmobilers try to cross the lake as fast as they can go in hopes that they can go faster than the ice breaks. Usually it works. For Davis, it didn't, unfortunately. They didn't recover his body until some fishermen found it in the spring.

 

[lonestar50]

Not mentioned in the article, it was called in by someone doing lake laps

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

Not mentioned in the article, it was called in by someone doing lake laps

What is a lake lap?

 

[mthawkeyes]

The ice on the res is NEVER safe. Hell, there's open water right now. And when there is decent ice, the lake often drops level and the ice is unsupported and you can still fall through, and then it can be several feet down to the water. Good luck getting out of that alive. From what I've seen, a lot of snowmobilers try to cross the lake as fast as they can go in hopes that they can go faster than the ice breaks. Usually it works. For Davis, it didn't, unfortunately. They didn't recover his body until some fishermen found it in the spring.

In Montana, there would be times when someone would drill an ice fishing hole only to find themselves 6 feet or more above the surface of the water of a large reservoir. Between the ice expanding, wind shifting the ice, and the water level dropping, there's too much uncertainty.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

Snowmobiling on a body of water, especially a river or a reservoir is a very dangerous proposition. I did it often as a teenager on the Cedar and looking back on it, I'm extremely fortunate that nothing happened to me or my friends, but I was a dumb kid at the time.

 

[On Iowa]

In Montana, there would be times when someone would drill an ice fishing hole only to find themselves 6 feet or more above the surface of the water of a large reservoir. Between the ice expanding, wind shifting the ice, and the water level dropping, there's too much uncertainty.

And it's a helluva lot colder for a helluva lot longer in Montana than Iowa.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

I heard snowmobilers talk about how much fun it is to ride across the ice, then find a patch of water and just skim over the top of it.

It simply can't be enough fun to die doing it.

 

[McLovin32]

Snowmobiling on a body of water, especially a river or a reservoir is a very dangerous proposition. I did it often as a teenager on the Cedar and looking back on it, I'm extremely fortunate that nothing happened to me or my friends, but I was a dumb kid at the time.

People are just really dumb sometimes. On Thursday, I saw a post on fbook from the Winter Games at Okoboji. Someone attempted to drive an ATV through a narrow area under a bridge right by the Okoboji Store, and the ice gave out. I don't get on the ice too often anymore, but it doesn't take a genius to understand that the ice is going to be much thinner in a narrow area of a bridge.

 

[blhawk]

Snowmobiling on a body of water, especially a river or a reservoir is a very dangerous proposition. I did it often as a teenager on the Cedar and looking back on it, I'm extremely fortunate that nothing happened to me or my friends, but I was a dumb kid at the time.

Dumb kids grow up to be dumb adults quite often, go figure

 

[lucas80]

What is a lake lap?

I believe this was a jab at @NorthernHawkeye
I think he's the guy who runs laps around his lake while his wife makes sandwiches at home, dreading his return.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

Dumb kids grow up to be dumb adults quite often, go figure

I won't dispute that, I continue to do plenty of dumb things in my adulthood as well. Really dumb kids don't get the opportunity to grow up sometimes.

 

[JWolf74]

Glad that they were rescued, but they should pay for the rescue service...as it was ludicrous to be on the reservoir ice. Again, glad there was a good outcome, but there needs to be a stupid tax here too. Some rescuer(s) had to risk their life here in the absence of a good reason.

Absolutely. Guy is a fuggin' moran. He should pay for the rescue and the medical care of the firefighter that was injured.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

I believe this was a jab at @NorthernHawkeye
I think he's the guy who runs laps around his lake while his wife makes sandwiches at home, dreading his return.

True, but she loves the return.

 

[JWolf74]

True, but she loves the return.

She better, or else, right?

 

[mthawkeyes]

And it's a helluva lot colder for a helluva lot longer in Montana than Iowa.

Ice fishing into April some years.

 

[theiacowtipper]

Many rescue squads do charge for stuff like this. Wilderness rescue and the like. An issue with charging is if people become reluctant to call. Perhaps this guy or a friend doesn’t call 911 because they don’t want the charge or don’t want the drama.

Case in point. There’s a service in southeast iowa that charges for lift assists. If you call 911 for help off the floor more than four times in a month you get a charge. I think $100. The idea is to encourage patients to ambulate with assistance and to seek home care. A patient didn’t call 911 and laid on the floor for six hours. They got rhabdo and ended up dying in the hospital. An extreme example but it can show the consequences.

Celebrate the rescue and the good work the rescuers did in saving this person. That’s enough.

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

Absolutely. Guy is a fuggin' moran. He should pay for the rescue and the medical care of the firefighter that was injured.

Agreed. I didn't hear about the injury, that stinks.

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

Many rescue squads do charge for stuff like this. Wilderness rescue and the like. An issue with charging is if people become reluctant to call. Perhaps this guy or a friend doesn’t call 911 because they don’t want the charge or don’t want the drama.

Case in point. There’s a service in southeast iowa that charges for lift assists. If you call 911 for help off the floor more than four times in a month you get a charge. I think $100. The idea is to encourage patients to ambulate with assistance and to seek home care. A patient didn’t call 911 and laid on the floor for six hours. They got rhabdo and ended up dying in the hospital. An extreme example but it can show the consequences.

Celebrate the rescue and the good work the rescuers did in saving this person. That’s enough.

Ummm...I don't see the situations as the same. You make a good point, but someone that makes a poor decision to put themselves in harms way, like going on the reservoir ice, particularly after a freeze-thaw cycle, etc, is not the same to me as someone that has a legit medical need and is trying to minimize the cost to themselves. FWIW.

The rescuers already have a dangerous job...it should cost a fellow something if they greatly enhance the danger through pure stupidity.

 

[theiacowtipper]

Ummm...I don't see the situations as the same. You make a good point, but someone that makes a poor decision to put themselves in harms way, like going on the reservoir ice, particularly after a freeze-thaw cycle, etc, is not the same to me as someone that has a legit medical need and is trying to minimize the cost to themselves. FWIW.

The rescuers already have a dangerous job...it should cost a fellow something if they greatly enhance the danger through pure stupidity.

A person who stays at home, despite being at increased fall risk and repeatedly falls and needs help up is a much greater burden on emergency services than the occasional lone snowmobile rider on the ice. Both of those two individuals made poor choices. While I have no data to support this, I’d argue many more EMS providers are injured lifting people off the floor every year than are injured rescuing people from ice. As an example.

To be clear, I’m against charging either of them a fee. They get charged for transport. Not rescue.

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

A person who stays at home, despite being at increased fall risk and repeatedly falls and needs help up is a much greater burden on emergency services than the occasional lone snowmobile rider on the ice. Both of those two individuals made poor choices. While I have no data to support this, I’d argue many more EMS providers are injured lifting people off the floor every year than are injured rescuing people from ice. As an example.

To be clear, I’m against charging either of them a fee. They get charged for transport. Not rescue.

Well, we see it differently then. In the case of the snowmobiler on the ice...one or more rescuers were subsequently obligated to risk their own lives to save a fool. While there is risk of personal injury lifting dead weight, etc, it really isn't life threatening, is it?

I am not saying that a responder could not be injured while lifting someone, but I really don't see those situations as the same.

I also am curious that you appear to be OK with charging for the transport, but not the much more dangerous, and likely more expensive, rescue.

 

[On Iowa]

I talked to someone this morning who knows the kid rescued. Apparently he has been posting a ton of videos to his snapchat showing him flying across open water on the res at super high speeds. Sounds like he needs to extract himself from the gene pool before he gets a chance to procreate and pass on his stupidity.

 

[theiacowtipper]

Well, we see it differently then. In the case of the snowmobiler on the ice...one or more rescuers were subsequently obligated to risk their own lives to save a fool. While there is risk of personal injury lifting dead weight, etc, it really isn't life threatening, is it?

I am not saying that a responder could not be injured while lifting someone, but I really don't see those situations as the same.

I also am curious that you appear to be OK with charging for the transport, but not the much more dangerous, and likely more expensive, rescue.

We rescue people from doing stupid stuff all the time. Driving 100+ mph. The farmer who goes in a grain bin to stomp down corn and gets trapped. The factory worker who bypasses a safety mechanism and gets an arm caught. How do we judge stupid? How do we decide who gets charged? If it wasn’t for stupid people EMS would be a boring profession.

If you’re going to charge for rescue you need to charge for rescue. We just don’t typically charge for rescue.

 

[JWolf74]

Many rescue squads do charge for stuff like this. Wilderness rescue and the like. An issue with charging is if people become reluctant to call. Perhaps this guy or a friend doesn’t call 911 because they don’t want the charge or don’t want the drama.

Case in point. There’s a service in southeast iowa that charges for lift assists. If you call 911 for help off the floor more than four times in a month you get a charge. I think $100. The idea is to encourage patients to ambulate with assistance and to seek home care. A patient didn’t call 911 and laid on the floor for six hours. They got rhabdo and ended up dying in the hospital. An extreme example but it can show the consequences.

Celebrate the rescue and the good work the rescuers did in saving this person. That’s enough.

I change my position after reading this post. While I hate idiots, I want everyone to get the care they need.

Another example of how EMS personal are the literal best people among us. They are criminally underpaid.

 

[Pinehawk]

I read stories like this, and then I rethink my ice fishing plans. I guess I’m basically waiting for 8”+ of ice.
I was thinking maybe this weekend, the highs will have been below freezing all week, and Saturday is supposed to be a balmy 41 degrees. But, I really don’t want to fall through the ice.

 

[anon_b29nm7v7dwp6r]

I have a few rules I try to stick with in life: never jump out of a perfectly good plane….and never go out on lake/river/reservoir ice.

 

[ConvenientParking]

A deadlier vehicle than a motorcycle for cold weather only to be used mainly in the middle of nowhere, where do I sign up?

 

[Urohawk]

Sounds like this won't be expanding south. A buddy of mine does this and lives for it.