Police Recover Body Of Missing Ice Fisherman
Tuesday January 8, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff
The search for a Toronto man who went missing during an ice fishing trip to Lake Simcoe ended Tuesday with the grim discovery of his lifeless body.
Sixty-year-old Ilia Vaxman was reported missing to Toronto Police Sunday, and his vehicle was found later that night in the Town of Georgina. Vaxman's body was eventually discovered in Lake Simcoe near Roches Point, not far from there.
Heavy fog Monday restricted the use of the York Regional Police helicopter, but when it lifted Tuesday the air search yielded the missing man's location.
The incident is the second in recent weeks to highlight the dangers of ice activities during periods of fluctuating temperature. Two snowmobilers were also pulled from Lake Simcoe just days earlier.
York Regional Police are asking that anyone planning to venture out on ice should take the following safety precautions:
Wear proper floatation attire
Don't fish or snowmobile alone
Tell someone about your plans and specifically where you are going.
Know the condition of the ice before you go out and take into consideration the recent changes the weather may have had on the ice
Be suspicious of gray, dark or porous spots in the ice as these may be soft areas. Ice is generally strongest where it is hard and blue
Heavy snow cover insulates ice and prevents it from freezing as evenly and as quickly as it would if the snow were not there. It is also deceptive for evaluating the ice cover