An ATV is flowing into the lake Magog

Photo courtesy

Shanny Hallé

Monday, 26 February, 2018 22:46

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Monday, 26 February, 2018 22:47

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A disaster was averted little in the last end of the week, while the ice of lake Magog, in Estrie, has given way under the weight of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), which sank in the water.

Fortunately, the owner of the vehicle was pulled free of his misfortune.

Sylvain Audet, a specialist in salvaging vehicles, regularly sees incidents like this one. “The fishermen are going to say [to bikers] that the thickness of the ice is 20″ and the people believe it is everywhere the same. That’s the danger,” he explained, stressing that the thickness of the ice varies greatly from one place to another on the lake.

“The ideal is to ask the fishermen who know the lake the ice thickness and also check the inputs and outputs of the rivers, where they don’t go”, added Mr. Audet.

Pierre Lacroix, a fisherman from the perch that is involved in this passion since 20 years, was often witness of actions reckless. “People walk anywhere without knowing what they have under the feet,” said Mr. Lacroix.

To be safe, the ice must reach a thickness of 10 inches to withstand the weight of a person, of 12 inches for a mountain BIKE and 20 to 30 centimeters to a car.