Another Winter Tradegy

[Coach13]

https://www.vaildaily.com/news/two-...r-sno-cat-plunges-through-ice-on-island-lake/

 

[graham418]

I have had to do some research regarding ice capabilities as part of some job access requirements. It is very thorough and detailed. A piece of machinery over 5000kg operating on ice needs to have a study by a professional engineer. There are many things to consider, point loading, dynamic loading, temperature changes of more than 10 degrees celsius, etc. etc. Not just some 'Rule of Thumb reckoning' that you may use for 2 men on a snowmobile , but a lot more detailed and complex. A sno-cat of that weight may require 70 or 80cm of clear blue ice. Ice quality needs to be assessed and a rescue plan has to be in place. Personnel need to be properly trained to recognize the hazards and have all their PPE.
Sorry for the minor rant, but in my business ,(construction) , safety is paramount. Nothing happens by accident. This is a needless tragedy.

 

[Doby Man]

... and what was the result of all that construction research? Don't build a house over a frozen lake? That would be excellent advice to anyone with such a penchant.

 

[Ken_R]

I have had to do some research regarding ice capabilities as part of some job access requirements. It is very thorough and detailed. A piece of machinery over 5000kg operating on ice needs to have a study by a professional engineer. There are many things to consider, point loading, dynamic loading, temperature changes of more than 10 degrees celsius, etc. etc. Not just some 'Rule of Thumb reckoning' that you may use for 2 men on a snowmobile , but a lot more detailed and complex. A sno-cat of that weight may require 70 or 80cm of clear blue ice. Ice quality needs to be assessed and a rescue plan has to be in place. Personnel need to be properly trained to recognize the hazards and have all their PPE.
Sorry for the minor rant, but in my business ,(construction) , safety is paramount. Nothing happens by accident. This is a needless tragedy.

The accident happened at 1AM it seems. Dont think its work related. Joy Ride perhaps?

 

[Tricia]

I have had to do some research regarding ice capabilities as part of some job access requirements. It is very thorough and detailed. A piece of machinery over 5000kg operating on ice needs to have a study by a professional engineer. There are many things to consider, point loading, dynamic loading, temperature changes of more than 10 degrees celsius, etc. etc. Not just some 'Rule of Thumb reckoning' that you may use for 2 men on a snowmobile , but a lot more detailed and complex. A sno-cat of that weight may require 70 or 80cm of clear blue ice. Ice quality needs to be assessed and a rescue plan has to be in place. Personnel need to be properly trained to recognize the hazards and have all their PPE.
Sorry for the minor rant, but in my business ,(construction) , safety is paramount. Nothing happens by accident. This is a needless tragedy.

When I was in Michigan, I was the risk management officer for a motorcycle club that hosted ice races on Lake Cadillac.
We spent countless hours drilling holes in the lake to measure ice depth and determining how many bikes could be on the lake, let alone the racers who wanted to take their race trailers onto the ice. Sometimes we could allow the trailers, and sometimes we couldn't.
Here is a photo taken by Cadillac News

I remember one year we used red food coloring in water to mark the start/finish line. At the end of the day we just dumped the leftover water and packed up our stuff. Two days later we were contacted by the DNR asking if there was a critical accident because some ice fisherman found a giant puddle of blood.
We laughed. Then we switched to green food coloring for the next race.

Here's a video I took 11 years ago with a crappy camera.

 

[Coach13]

The accident happened at 1AM it seems. Dont think its work related. Joy Ride perhaps?

I’m betting beer was involved.

 

[Fuller]

Yeah, that was a "hold my beer" moment. Do sno-cats have cup holders?

Let's see who is going to sue who... will the insurance pay off the loss to the owner? Will the bereaved family blame the owner for leaving the keys in it? What a cluster...

 

[scott43]

People used to ask my dad when it was safe to go on the ice. We used to say, when the city people stop falling through.. Tongue in cheek, this is still a tragedy even if beer was involved..

 

[graham418]

We used to say, when the city people stop falling through..

Spoken like a true Northern boy.

 

[Ogg]

@Tricia can you please fix the typo in the thread title before someone has an aneurism?

 

[raytseng]

Yeah, that was a "hold my beer" moment. Do sno-cats have cup holders?

Let's see who is going to sue who... will the insurance pay off the loss to the owner? Will the bereaved family blame the owner for leaving the keys in it? What a cluster...

https://www.westernslopenow.com/new...lake-on-grand-mesa-for-missing-men/1755062698

Michael Wenner, owner of the Grand Mesa Lodge, said Wells brought a privately owned Sno-Cat with him and apparently asked about taking it on the ice. Wells was told this would not be a good idea because of the weight of the vehicle.
Wenner said he was later awakened by the sound of the Sno-Cat starting late at night.

Who else privately owns a snow cat? raise your hands

 

[James]

Late night, beer, weed, your own sno-cat, and a frozen lake. What could possibly go wrong?
Good thing there probably wasn't room for 4 people in it.

 

[Fuller]

The plot thickens - but not the ice.

This is tragic and I shouldn't be making wise cracks but I can't imagine doing this.

 

[scott43]

The plot thickens - but not the ice.

This is tragic and I shouldn't be making wise cracks but I can't imagine doing this.

Lake ice is a funny thing. Stupid things happen. You can't imagine. I don't know why.

Edit: I mean I don't know why they happen .

 

[James]

Maybe they were going ice fishing?
Suppose we have this all wrong and it wasn't like a Piston Bully groomer, but this thing:

 

[Fuller]

"You'll be warm, dry and arrive there in no time!"

comedy gold...

 

[wyowindrunner]

... and what was the result of all that construction research? Don't build a house over a frozen lake? That would be excellent advice to anyone with such a penchant.

Late 80's Early 90's- western end of Lake Sacajawea in western North Dakota- an oil well operated by Texaco that had been shut in years before was plugged and abandoned. The well was shut in- not producing -and had a brick moat around it. Was drilled before Garrison Dam created the lake in the 50's. Any how, an ice bridge was constructed to the site and a pad built for the workover rig, pumps and other equipment. If memory serves, took about a month to build the needed thickness. Similar technique is used for Prudhoe Bay drilling.