LAKE WOLSEY—Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) confirmed last Saturday that Daniel Labelle, age 55, of Sudbury perished in a Good Friday ice fishing trip to Lake Wolsey after the ATV he and two others were travelling on broke through the ice on the lake located west of Gore Bay.
The OPP was alerted to the event at approximately 7:56 am Friday morning and responded to a call for assistance in relation to a party of fishermen whose ATV had broken through a section of ice.
Two of the men riding in the ATV were rescued thanks to the help of bystanders.
The third rider, Daniel Labelle, died in the incident. His body was recovered by the OPP’s Underwater Search and Recovery Unit later that day.
The OPP’s Underwater Search and Recovery Unit is located out of Gravenhurst and is comprised of a team of five highly experienced divers.
The OPP reminds recreational fishermen and ATV and snowmobile operators that this is the second recent event where a person has gone through the ice on Lake Wolsey.
Earlier last week, a snowmobiler went through the ice on the same body of water with his snowmobile but was able to make it to shore safely.
The OPP urges extreme caution when venturing out onto area waterways as ice conditions have proven to be highly unpredictable.
Milder temperatures and water flows beneath the ice surface on any area waterway denigrate the strength of the ice. As such, venturing onto any ice surface on any motorized vehicle is not recommended.
