The county’s snowmobile association is warning people to stay off the county’s lakes.
Warm temperatures have left many of the county’s lakes only partially frozen and while they may look safe for travelling on, they still aren’t safe.
"We don’t authorize any ice travel until we have it staked," said the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association president Joachim Matysek on Jan. 11.
"Until it’s staked, we discourage anyone from going on it, simple as that."
Volunteers from the association check ice depth and plot out the safest routes for sledders to take, but the lakes are nowhere near frozen enough to do that work.
"We require over a foot of ice before we even go and stake. We do not recommend anybody to go on any ice, period. When they do go on ice, follow the staked the trails," Matysek said.
Already this year two snowmobiles have gone into lakes in Highlands East, fire chief Bill Wingrove said, and he echoed Matysek’s plea for everyone to stay off of local lakes.
"I just want people to know not to go out on the ice. It’s not safe," Wingrove said.
Highlands East firefighters were called to Salerno Lake the evening of Jan. 10 with a report of a snowmobile that had gone in the lake.
By the time emergency personnel arrived, the machines and the sledders were gone.
On New Year’s Day they had another similar experience with an abandoned snowmobile left on Cardiff Lake.
Wingrove points out that his fire department isn’t trained to do water rescues, so those needing assistance must wait for the Minden Hills department to arrive.
"We don’t do [water] rescue here in Highlands East. That’s why I called Minden Hills last night. We go for backup to assist them. It’s a lot of resources being spent on somebody’s foolishness," he said.
Wingrove said he understood snowmobilers’ anxiousness to get outside and have some fun, but doesn’t think the consequences are worth it.
"I can feel for the snowmobilers, they pay all this money for machines and trail permits and they’ve got no trails to run on, but it’s not worth dying over," he said.
For updates on snowmobile trail conditions, go to www.hcsa.on.ca.
