Anxious anglers asked to exercise caution

Dec 5, 2017 | 1:00 PM

The Ministry of Environment is cautioning enthusiastic anglers to think twice before heading out on the ice.

Fluctuating temperatures have not been kind to outdoor enthusiasts. Conservation Officer Rich Hildebrand told paNOW the higher temperatures could spell danger.

“The ice isn’t going to freeze even when we have steady temperatures, so it’s definitely going to make a difference,” he said. “We’ve had reports of anglers venturing out in some locations and we just want them to make sure they are being really cautious and really safe.” 

Last week, a youTUBE video went viral showing a dog being rescued after falling through the ice in the Swift Current area. Then over the weekend, a car went through the ice in the La Ronge area.
 
Hildebrand said there wasn’t an area of the province that could be considered safer than any other. He added each water body can differ even within a few miles of each other. 
 
“They can vary depending on the makeup of a lake and things like that, so each area is very individual in how ice can develop,” he said.
 
Hildebrand reminds anglers the ice should be no less than four inches thick before walking on it, a minimum eight inches thick for snowmobiling, and no less than 12 inches thick for a car.