73 y.o. man rescued from lake
Published: February 16, 2005
The perch in slushy Lake St. Clair were too tempting for Ralph Boland.
The 73-year-old Warren man had to be rescued Tuesday after falling into the water while ice fishing in the lake. He knew of the possible danger; he called emergency officials Monday when a fellow fisherman fell through the ice in the same area, Macomb County Sheriff Deputy Frank Bednard said.
“They just don’t seem to comprehend the danger,” Bednard said. “The thing is, the perch are biting, and they ignore the danger. They will crawl to the edge of the ice near open water.”
The rescues prompted Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel to warn ice fishers to be cautious when venturing out onto Lake St. Clair.
Boland, fishing in 7 feet of water in Campau Bay north of Metropolitan Beach, had tied one end of a nylon rope around his waist and the other to his vehicle before venturing onto the ice, said Harrison Township Fire Lt. Steven Alfes.
“If not for his life line, he might have drowned,” Alfes said.
Fellow ice fishers assisted Boland out of the icy water, just as they did a day earlier when another fisher went under, Alfes said.
Despite heavy rain and 40-degree temperature in recent days, about a dozen ice fishers were on Campau Bay during the last few days.
Hackel said his department and other agencies are prepared to make ice rescues if necessary. He said he’s surprised at the number of veteran ice fishers who need to be rescued.
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