Earlier this month, a man fell through ice while fishing, and eventually died as a result of the complications.
According to NBC 26, man who fell into the water was 87 years old. He was fishing on private property when he fell through the ice. After falling through the ice, the man was eventually pulled out of the freezing water by the Suamico Fire Department. Joe Bertler, who is the Suamico Fire Chief said in a report that the most difficult part of the rescue was locating the man in all the vegetation. Reportedly, the man was in only three foot of water when he was located.
Bertler and company pulled the fisherman from the water and attempted life-saving measures. The accident occurred on Monday, December 9th. The fire department arrived to the body of water, which sat off of Bayside Road in Suamico just before 5 PM local time. On Tuesday, the fisherman was confirmed dead while at a hospital, where emergency care had been attempted.
Fisherman Died Earlier This Month After Falling Through Ice
Bertler has used the days since to urge his community to practice caution when spending time on ice. Bertler said that oftentimes, ice fishermen can get comfortable with a spot, as they have fished in numerous times over the years, The familiarity can create a false sense of safety and security. Particularly, Bertler said that the area still needs some "nice, below-freezing days." Likewise, Berlter mentioned that if any person are to fall in the ice, removing clothing can make it easier to pull yourself out of the water, as the wet clothes are heavy.
As winter wears on, more ice fishermen will certainly give it their best go. The sport is one that can often times be forgotten. While open-water fishing takes place in all fifty states, many areas do not get cold enough to accommodate ice fishing.
With that said, it is a plenty popular hobby in the northern United States. Suamico itself is a village that sits just north of Green Bay, Wisconsin. In the weeks that have since passed, some colder weather has hit the area, and hopefully, the ice has solidified.
