An annual ice fishing derby has been canceled and authorities are warning anglers to stay off the ice after three people fell through the ice and died in a matter of days.
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department issued a public safety advisory on Saturday and extended the warning on Monday, saying it wasn't safe to go out on Lake Champlain during the current warm weather, which is making ice dangerous.
"Ice conditions on Lake Champlain are not safe for recreation while the current warm weather (Feb 11 - on) persists. Do not go onto the ice on Lake Champlain," the alert says. "On inland waters where conditions may be better, continue to be cautious and use good judgement. Check the ice as you go. Leave vehicles on shore."
The 43rd Annual Islands Ice Fishing Derby that was set to be held on Lake Champlain Feb. 11-12 was also canceled at the last minute, and just hours after a man died, at the request of the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department due to the dangerous ice conditions.
According to the National Weather Service, the area has been experiencing "abnormally warm" temperatures between 7 to 15 degrees above normal, with highs ranging from the low 40s to mid 50s.
"To say [temperatures are] unseasonably warm is an understatement," NWS Burlington said on Twitter.
The warmer weather is believed to have been a factor in the deaths of three fishermen who fell through the ice on Lake Champlain in two separate incidents within days of each other.
Vermont State Police say 62-year-old Wayne Alexander died on Thursday after falling through the ice. His death was ruled an accident, with the cause listed as hypothermia due to immersion in cold water.
Police say Alexander left his home around noon to go ice fishing and when he didn't return as expected around 6 p.m., a relative when to search for him. The relative located Alexander's truck parked in the fishing access at Grand Isle State Park at about 8:30 p.m. and called emergency crews. Rescuers found Alexander in the water at about 9:30 p.m., wearing a flotation suit. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead the following day.
The other fatal incident happened days later on Saturday morning. State Police say brothers 71-year-old John Fleury and 88-year-old Wayne Fleury died after their side-by-side vehicle broke through the ice. Authorities are still trying to determine their causes of death, but say it was an accident.
Police responded to Lake Champlain in South Hero around 7 a.m. after getting a report of the vehicle falling through the ice. First responders pulled John Fleury from the water and he was transported to the hospital where he later died. Wayne Fleury was subsequently located inside the vehicle by a diver and pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly after the incident involving the Fleurys, the fishing derby was canceled. That same day, the NWS also issued a warning that the ice wasn't safe.
"Due to well above normal temperatures that the region has experienced over the past 2 months, ice thickness on area lakes and ponds is highly variable. Ice is never 100% safe. If you don't know, don't go! Stay safe," the NWS said.
Another ice fishing tournament scheduled for later this month on Lake Champlain, the 4th Annual Biff Ice Fishing Derby, has also been canceled "due to the bad ice conditions and the warm weather in the forecast."
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