HAUSER LAKE — A man fell through the ice near the Causeway on Hauser Lake on Wednesday morning.
“He was by himself fishing, in an ice shelter, and for whatever reason, it went through the ice,” said Lewis and Clark County Search and Rescue liaison Sgt. Bill Pandis.
Sgt. Pandis says the man was rescued from the water and transported to the hospital.
Due to the warming and cooling temperatures, the ice on the lakes in the surrounding areas can be unstable.
“Sometimes ice can get rotten if it warms up and cools back down and warms up then cools down, so make sure you’re on good ice,” said Sgt. Pandis.
Sgt. Pandis recommends that you keep someone with you if you are going to ice fish and keep a tool kit of essential items that can save you if you do go under.
“Ice picks which are handles that you can wear around your neck and if you go through the ice, you can use them to try and pull yourself back up on top of the ice,” said Sgt. Pandis.
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks recommend ice fishing on at least 4"-to-6" thick, clear ice. And Sgt. Pandis says it is crucial to your safety to drill and see the ice for yourself.
“Just make sure to check the thickness of the ice, and if it doesn’t seem safe or seems mushy or seems too thin, make sure to go somewhere else and to not risk it,” said Sgt. Pandis.
For a full of list of safety tips, you can visit Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks website here.
