False alarm: Ice shanty users urged to provide contact info to avoid unnecessary search efforts

Zachary Canaperi, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jan. 25—CHAUMONT — Multiple fire departments and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to Point Salubrious at about 6 p.m. Wednesday for a possible ice rescue.

After a lengthy search by the Clayton Fire Department's airboat, it was determined that a report of a snowmobile falling through the ice near Cherry Island was a false alarm.

"Someone from shore thought they saw two snowmobilers heading off the ice, and then they thought they could only see one. It went down to one; they thought they could hear commotion coming from the ice," said William Lipczynski, Chaumont Fire Department chief.

First responders arrived at Indian Point to begin their search near the island.

"We sent crews out there to start searching, and state police went over to the subject's house that called it in to canvass what they had seen. Based on everything that we were getting, we still thought there was somebody out there," he said.

Lipczynski said that what they found were unoccupied ice shanties, and that they were unable to contact the owners, so the search had to continue.

"All the ice shanties that we were coming upon did not have anybody in them, and none of them were marked. By DEC regulation, all ice shanties are to be marked clearly with the owner's name and phone number on them, so we can get a hold of them," he said.

The regulation, as listed on the state Department of Environmental Conservation's website, states: "Ice shanties must be marked on the outside with the owner's name and address in letters at least 3 inches high. Shanties must be removed from all waters by March 15 to prevent them from falling through the ice and becoming hazards to navigation."

After a long search by the ice rescue team and Clayton Fire Department's airboat, all owners of the ice shanties were accounted for.

While the search was taking place, Lipczynski took note of the varying ice conditions throughout the bay.

"The ice was 2 inches to 6 inches. We did find a couple spots that were wide open. Of course. With being in the bay like that, when the wind starts pushing, it changes ice conditions rapidly," he said.

Lipczynski also said that he does not wish for the false alarm to discourage people from calling 911.

"Honestly, if somebody does see something, we don't mind them calling 911. We don't want anyone to ever be discouraged from calling 911. We'd rather go out there and it be a false alarm than, God forbid, we have to go out there and find someone and it is too late to help them," he said.