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It’s been an unusually warm winter season for many residents of the northeast United States this year.
But that doesn’t apply to everyone.
The city of Buffalo saw record-setting snowfall during a blizzard that caused the NFL to move a game to Detroit. While temperatures in upstate New York and New England plummeted to well below zero recently, including a jaw-dropping -47 on Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
Vermont is another one of those states that dealt with freezing temperature. However, it appears the temperatures were not so cold as to make them ideal for ice fishing.
Ice Fishing Tournament Canceled After Deaths Due To Thin Ice
Hannah Sarisohn of CNN reports that organizers had to cancel an ice fishing tournament on Vermont’s Lake Champlain over the weekend after three entrants died after falling through the ice and into the freezing water.
Gilbert Gagner, a member of the Islands Ice Fishing Derby committee, told CNN this was the tournament’s 43rd year and his 25th involved with it.
The derby raises money for conservation on Lake Champlain. The community looks forward to February for the ice fishing, Gagner told CNN.
Gagner owns Martin’s General Store, which rents out ice fishing equipment. But due to unusually high temperatures this winter, Gagner told CNN he’s not going back on the ice and is shutting down the rental operation.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Gagner said. “This is craziness.” – via CNN.
The report goes on to state that the three fishermen were not part of the event. But Gagner and other officials say there was “no choice” but to shut down the event due to an abundance of caution.
The National Weather Service in Burlington, Vermont recently warned Facebook users that unusually high winter temperatures have made ice thickness “highly variable” this season.