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ATV falls through thin ice on Sparrow Lake

No one was injured, but incident serves as a reminder 'no ice is safe ice,' says Orillia's deputy fire chief
orilliafiredepartment-2-24-23
The Orillia Fire Department responded to an ATV incident on Sparrow Lake on Friday.

An all-terrain vehicle went through the ice on Sparrow Lake on Friday afternoon.

At about 1:30 p.m., Feb. 24, rescue crews were called to the northwest area of Sparrow Lake, just off Torpitt Road, in Severn Township.

“When we got there, Severn fire, Simcoe County paramedics, OPP, and our fire crew assisted the people,” said Orillia Deputy Fire Chief Chris Ferry. “They were about 800 metres off shore.”

The individuals who had been trapped in the water were able to pull themselves out before rescue crews made it to them.

“They were in an area of thin ice,” Ferry said. “From what we heard from the locals up there, that area was open water just a few days ago.”

Those involved were not injured or taken to hospital, said Ferry, who reminds people “no ice is safe ice.”

“While we are in mid-February, the ice at certain parts is very thin,” he said. “There is no ice in some spots and the current is really eating away at the ice.”

Given the mild winter, Ferry says there isn’t any good ice to venture out on right now.

“The north end of Lake Couchiching is open water,” he said. “The middle parts of Sparrow Lake are either open or very thin.”

When people go out on unsafe ice, it also puts local emergency crews in danger.

“When the fire crew has to go out to assist these people, they themselves are heading out on the thin ice,” he said. “Even though our people do wear the appropriate safety equipment, they could put themselves in harm’s way to help these people.”



Tyler Evans

About the Author: Tyler Evans

Tyler Evans got his start in the news business when he was just 15-years-old and now serves as a video producer and reporter with OrilliaMatters
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