Authorities warn about ice safety

[Skunk]

Authorities warn about ice safety

by Lou Hillman, Fox11 WLUK-TV

December 29, 2009

SHAWANO - Authorities are reminding people they still need to be careful on the ice. The warning comes after a Kaukauna man, 53-year-old Daniel Arnoldussen, died in Forest County. His off-road vehicle fell through the ice on Sunday.

"The conditions are risky. We didn't see any open spaces but we wouldn't recommend anyone go on the ice yet. It's too early," said Steve Haskell, the director of Shawano County Emergency Management.

Shawano Lake is a popular ice fishing spot. On Tuesday, dozens of ice shanties were already setup on the lake. One of the spots belongs to Mike Eger of Clintonville.

"I enjoy it; it's something after deer hunting. It's a past-time," said Eger.

Eger picked a spot close to shore, one that he even feels comfortable driving his car out to.

"I honestly wouldn't tell anybody just to drive out here unless you know where you are going. Like I said, I've been on this lake and lived on it for more than 20 years," said Eger.

Eger showed us the ice at his spot is about 14 inches thick. Most ice fisherman will tell you anything more than a foot is thick enough to drive a car on. But Shawano County authorities say, right now, not all spots on the lake are that thick.

It's the same story to the south on Lake Winnebago.

"There is about 8 inches on the shore line but we did fly over Thursday and there was a couple of holes that are still open in the middle of the lake," said Don Hermann, with the Otter Street Fishing Club.

Hermann said people are just anxious to get out because the best ice fishing is usually early in the season.

"The lake is never 100% safe ... If there's even 20 inches out there," said Hermann.

It's a warning issued every year ... but still, almost always someone or something ends up falling through the ice somewhere.

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/ice-safety-warning

[Skunk]

Death of Daniel Arnoldussen of Freedom illustrates ice dangers

By Jim Collar, Post-Crescent staff writer

December 30, 2009

Authorities say the Sunday death of a Freedom man in Forest County is a tragic example of the risks outdoors enthusiasts still face on Wisconsin's developing, early winter ice.

While tragedies are rare, many people take their chances.

"It's every year," Forest County Sheriff Keith Van Cleve said Tuesday.

Daniel Arnoldussen, 53, was pronounced dead at an Antigo hospital Sunday after his side-by-side, off-road vehicle went through the ice of Lily Lake.

Authorities say Arnoldussen put his daughter's life before his own that day. He kicked a window from the vehicle as it sunk and pushed his daughter Megan to safety. His daughter then pulled him onto the ice and attempted resuscitation before emergency crews arrived.

Ice conditions remain poor in northern Wisconsin, Van Cleve said.

"It's bad," Van Cleve said of Lily Lake. "The ice is very thin. We have a big layer of snow out there. It's slushy."

It's not an anomaly.

Ice conditions on northern lakes varied greatly as of a Dec. 17 report from the state Department of Natural Resources.

Thicknesses ranged from 1 to 7 inches despite cold snaps in recent weeks. While many lakes were starting to freeze over in southern portions of the state, larger lakes remained open. The DNR urged people to "exercise extreme caution when venturing out."

The Winnebago County Sheriff's Department's safety guidelines include 5 inches of clear, solid ice for snowmobiles or all-terrain vehicles and 8 to 12 inches of ice for cars or light trucks.

Arnoldussen's vehicle wasn't the first to fall through the ice on Wisconsin lakes this winter.

Eric Bonenfant, 46, died Dec. 19 after his ATV crashed through the ice on Big Muskego Lake in southeastern Wisconsin.

Last year, two of the 23 snowmobilers who died in Wisconsin went through thin ice, according to DNR records. Ice accidents accounted for a snowmobiler's death in late March 2007 and another two in December of that year.

Sunday's tragedy is reminiscent of another on Valentine's Day on Lake Winnebago. Near Quinney, 44-year-old Dan Kleinhans of St. Nazianz and his 9-year-old daughter Savannah died after their truck plunged through the ice.

Jim Collar: 920-993-1000, ext. 216, or jcollar@postcrescent.com

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20091230/APC0101/912300573/1004&located=rss

[Skunk]

Daughter Says Father Who Drowned Was a Hero

By Jeff Alexander, WBAY

December 29, 2009

A Freedom teenager recounts her final, frantic moments with her father after their enclosed utility vehicle broke through the ice -- and a father saved his daughter before losing his life.

Seventeen-year-old Megan Arnoldussen is calling her dad a hero.

Sunday afternoon on Lily Lake in Forest County, 53-year-old Dan Arnoldussen and his daughter were in a UTV, or side-by-side, when it broke through the ice.

Megan survived. Her father did not.

"It just happened so fast. All of a sudden he said we have to get the door open, and he just started kicking the door... and then he just said 'Go' and shoved me through."

Megan is both hurting today and thankful to be alive after an ice fishing trip with her dad went terribly wrong.

"The water came in pretty fast, and we couldn't open the doors because the pressure of the water."

As their vehicle was sinking, officers say, Dan managed to kick out a window.

"He pushed me out of it, then I turned around to look if he was getting out, but it was already sunk underneath the water."

Megan estimates her dad surfaced about 30 seconds later but then collapsed with his face down in the water.

By that time, her sister had run from their cabin on to the ice, and the two girls managed to pull their dad out of the water.

For a half hour until rescuers arrived, they worked as a team performing CPR.

"He was there and we were both trying to save him and we just couldn't."

Doctors couldn't save their dad, either.

Now, instead of enjoying a family Christmas vacation, Megan and her family are planning a funeral.

Megan says Dan Arnoldussen was all about his faith and his family.

"He taught us all to hunt and fish, and that was a big part of his life he was passionate about, and he was very loving and his love just overflowed on everyone."

Even in his final moments.

"Life is unpredictable and you're not guaranteed anything," Megan said. "It's a big reassurance to us that he's with God and that he's helping us cope with it and he's giving us strength."

The family wants everyone to know the funeral is Saturday at Appleton Alliance Church. Visitation is from 9 to noon with the funeral to follow.

O'Connell Funeral Services says Arnoldussen will also receive military rites.

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=11744691