Two people are lucky to be alive after falling through the ice on Lake St. Clair in Chatham-Kent this weekend.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Chatham-Kent reported on Monday that the pair went through the ice on Lake St. Clair along Angler Line south of Mitchell's Bay on Saturday at approximately 6 p.m. The OPP said a child on a sled was also tagging along. Police were in the midst of calling the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Trenton and the OPP aviation services to help when the two people made it to safety on their own.
Police said the close call is under investigation and are again reminding everyone to stay off the waterways because the ice is not safe.
Anyone with any information is being urged to contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122 or the Chatham-Kent OPP detachment at (519) 352-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.helpsolvecrime.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
A group of ice fishers that became stranded on the ice on Lake St. Clair at the end of January also had to be rescued. Police said three people had to be air lifted to safety on January 30, 2021 while the others managed to return to shore on their own.
“Due to fluctuating temperatures the ice is unstable,” said OPP in the January 30 statement. “Large cracks have formed creating gaps in the ice making for a very dangerous situation.”
