A yearly ice fishing competition on Vermont’s Lake Champlain was abruptly canceled over the weekend. Three men perished after falling through the ice in oddly warm temperatures, according to authorities.
Tragic Deaths
The weekend competition has been postponed, according to a Post on Facebook by the event organizers, because of the quality of the ice.
Fishermen who had already been on the ice were ordered to evacuate the area after the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department requested the tournament be stopped immediately.
They stated the tickets will be repaid.
As reported by the Vermont State Police, the tournament was canceled once three people perished after slipping through the frozen surface, particularly two brothers who plunged through just hours earlier.
In accordance with a press release from the county police, Grand Isle resident Wayne Alexander, 62, passed away on Thursday after slipping through the ice on Lake Champlain whilst also ice fishing.
Hours after he was supposed to arrive back at his residence, his body was discovered in the sea, according to the authorities. Police reported he was declared legally dead at a Medical Center.
An annual ice fishing tournament on Vermont’s Lake Champlain was called off at the last minute over the weekend after three men died when they fell through the ice during "abnormally warm" weather, officials say. https://t.co/rIMLtL4oWz
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 13, 2023
Early on Saturday, state police reported two brothers perished when their pickup truck shattered through the ice.
According to the county police, a call that a car slid through the ice and two individuals inside it were sent to emergency personnel came at about 7:10 a.m.
Williamstown resident John Fleury, 71, was retrieved from the river, but later passed away at a hospital. Eventually, a swimmer from Colchester Technical Rescue discovered his older brother inside the car.
To ascertain the precise reason and cause of all three fatalities, county police said an autopsy will be performed at the chief medical examiner’s department in neighboring Burlington.
According to the CIA, all three instances seemed to be mishaps and weren’t initially treated as suspicious.
"3 VT Fishermen die after falling through ice"
The ice this year is abnormally thin– and of very poor quality. It's been unusually warm this winter..which degraded the ice to a dangerous state on many lakes, even in northern New England.
cc @ericfisherhttps://t.co/51Nh5r8K77— Fisher King (@moronesaxatili1) February 13, 2023
Whether or not the three men were only taking part in the ice fishing competition was not immediately identified. A nocturnal attempt for feedback from the tournament’s promoters did not receive a prompt response.
The National Weather Service in Burlington cautioned in a Saturday Facebook post that because of far above-average temperatures in the region over the last two months, the frozen ice thickness on nearby ponds and rivers would vary.
Fishermen Were Warned
The post stated ice has never been completely secure and people shouldn’t venture onto it if they aren’t certain it’s safe.
The ice fishing tournament organizers additionally issued a warning on Friday, stating they did not suggest anybody operate any form of a motor car on the ice.
The meteorological service stated on Monday that the initial half of February had been warmer than usual. It said the pattern was anticipated to last the entire week.
This article appeared in Conservative Cardinal and has been published here with permission.
