Skully
PMA Member
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - A man died after he apparently fell through the ice at George Wyth Lake while fishing Wednesday evening.
Waterloo firefighters pulled a the unconscious 51-year-old man from the lake, which is located in George Wyth State Park, after he had apparently been underwater for a number of minutes, said Battalion Chief Mike Junk with Waterloo Fire Rescue.
Paramedics took the man, identified as Wade William Clark, 51, of Cedar Falls, to Allen Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead a short time later.
The incident underscores recent warnings from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources about weakening ice on the state's lakes and ponds due to unseasonably warm weather. A couple died in rural Madison County earlier this week in a similar accident.
Officials believe Clark was fishing alone Wednesday.
At about 7:30 p.m., Park Ranger Gary Dusenberry was at his home on the park property next to the lake when he heard the man call for help, Junk said.
Dusenberry was unable to see him because of the darkness and fog and called 911, Junk said.
Firefighters Chris Shafer and Dave Meiser and Paramedic Greg Stewart donned insulated dry suits while heading to the scene. Attached to safety lines, the three took off across the partially frozen lake. The cries for help had stopped, but crews followed the ranger's estimation of where they came from.
A number of times, the firefighters broke through thin ice while searching, Junk said. They eventually came to an area of open water but weren't able to find anything.
After more searching, the trio discovered a second patch of open water with some fishing equipment nearby, Junk said. The water at that point was too deep to stand in, and firefighters found the man while probing with a hooked pole, he said.
Firefighters loaded the man onto the department's Rescue Alive sled, which is like a miniature pontoon boat, to transport him back to shore.
Two other people have drowned on Iowa waters this week.
On Monday night, authorities recovered the bodies of a man and woman from a rural Madison County pond. Officials said Linda Jones, 64, of rural Prole, and George Pierce, 80, of Des Moines, had been ice fishing. Her husband alerted officials after discovering a wide hole in the ice while checking on them.
That same day, the DNR cautioned anglers from ice fishing in south and central Iowa.
"We had quality ice in central Iowa as recently as Saturday, but the warming trend has ruined the ice in central and southern Iowa. Ice fishing around here is no longer an option," said Ben Dodd, fisheries biologist with DNR's Boone office, in a press release.
The release said ice fishing options improved on lakes north of Highway 20, but it encouraged residents to use caution even in northern Iowa.
"I would test the ice often, regardless of its location because of the inconsistent weather that we have had," Dodd said.
Dodd said anglers should avoid wet or dark spots on the ice, approach the ice with the same caution as if it were early in the season, bring a set of ice picks and don't go out alone.
Other safety tips include having at least 50 feet of rope and a throwable floatation cushion.
Waterloo firefighters pulled a the unconscious 51-year-old man from the lake, which is located in George Wyth State Park, after he had apparently been underwater for a number of minutes, said Battalion Chief Mike Junk with Waterloo Fire Rescue.
Paramedics took the man, identified as Wade William Clark, 51, of Cedar Falls, to Allen Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead a short time later.
The incident underscores recent warnings from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources about weakening ice on the state's lakes and ponds due to unseasonably warm weather. A couple died in rural Madison County earlier this week in a similar accident.
Officials believe Clark was fishing alone Wednesday.
At about 7:30 p.m., Park Ranger Gary Dusenberry was at his home on the park property next to the lake when he heard the man call for help, Junk said.
Dusenberry was unable to see him because of the darkness and fog and called 911, Junk said.
Firefighters Chris Shafer and Dave Meiser and Paramedic Greg Stewart donned insulated dry suits while heading to the scene. Attached to safety lines, the three took off across the partially frozen lake. The cries for help had stopped, but crews followed the ranger's estimation of where they came from.
A number of times, the firefighters broke through thin ice while searching, Junk said. They eventually came to an area of open water but weren't able to find anything.
After more searching, the trio discovered a second patch of open water with some fishing equipment nearby, Junk said. The water at that point was too deep to stand in, and firefighters found the man while probing with a hooked pole, he said.
Firefighters loaded the man onto the department's Rescue Alive sled, which is like a miniature pontoon boat, to transport him back to shore.
Two other people have drowned on Iowa waters this week.
On Monday night, authorities recovered the bodies of a man and woman from a rural Madison County pond. Officials said Linda Jones, 64, of rural Prole, and George Pierce, 80, of Des Moines, had been ice fishing. Her husband alerted officials after discovering a wide hole in the ice while checking on them.
That same day, the DNR cautioned anglers from ice fishing in south and central Iowa.
"We had quality ice in central Iowa as recently as Saturday, but the warming trend has ruined the ice in central and southern Iowa. Ice fishing around here is no longer an option," said Ben Dodd, fisheries biologist with DNR's Boone office, in a press release.
The release said ice fishing options improved on lakes north of Highway 20, but it encouraged residents to use caution even in northern Iowa.
"I would test the ice often, regardless of its location because of the inconsistent weather that we have had," Dodd said.
Dodd said anglers should avoid wet or dark spots on the ice, approach the ice with the same caution as if it were early in the season, bring a set of ice picks and don't go out alone.
Other safety tips include having at least 50 feet of rope and a throwable floatation cushion.