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20FOCUS-FEBRUARY2015LakeScugogslatestdrowningvictimisa61-year-oldiceshermanwhowasmakinghiswayoffthelakeearlyonJanuary4whenhebrokethroughthethiniceandslidintotheicywater.HisbodywasrecoveredbytheYorkRegionalPolicediveteamlaterthatday.Policereportssaythevictimwasdraggingapop-uptentonasledwhenhewentthroughice.Thelakewasestimatedtobeonlyaninch-and-a-halfthickwherehebrokethrough.Despiteannualwarningsaboutthedangersoftravel-lingonthelakeoverthepastcenturytherehavebeendozensofpeopledieinaccidentsonLakeScugog.Asfarbackasthelate1800swarningsaboutthethicknessoftheicewerecommonandthelocalnews-paperwarnedTheiceisnotnowtobetrustedandpartieswilldowelltoavoidit.Butdeathfromdrowningwasnotanuncommonoc-curanceaftericeformedonthelake.Followingareafewexamplesofthemorethan30drowningsreportedinthepagesofthenewspapersoverthepastcentury.InNovember1867a14-year-oldboydrownedwhileoutskatingonLakeScugogwhenhewasreturningfromhisunclesplacewherehehadskatedforlunch.InApril1869amanhadaclosecallwithdeath.HisteamofhorseswerecrossingthelakehaulingaloadoflumbertoLaziersfactorywhenitbrokethroughtheiceandteamloadanddriverallwentdown.Fortunate-lytheteamsterwaspulledfromhisperilouspositionbyannativeridingwithhimontheload.MorethanacenturyagoinMarch1877WilliamLeewasdrivinghisteamofhorsesacrossthelakewhenhishorsebrokethroughtheiceplunginghimintothelake.Inthelatefallof1894ayoungladoutskatingonthelakedisappeared.HisbodywasfoundoatingnearWashburnIslandinAprilthefollowingyear.SixtyyearsagothreeCaesareamenweredriv-ingtheircaronLakeScugogwhenitplungedthroughtheice.Onemanwasabletoscrambleoutbutattemptstopullhisfriendstosafetyfailedandtheydisappearedintoabout20feetofwater.Theirbodieswerefoundbydiversthefollowingday.AnothertragicaccidentoccurredinJanuary1979whenascubadiverenteredthewaternearSevenMileIslandtohook-upacarthatwentthroughtheice.Thediverslife-lineslippedloosefromhiswaistandhisbodywasntfounduntiltheicedisappearedinthespring.NotallwinterdeathsassociatedwithLakeScugoghappenedbydrownings.InFebruary1975a34-year-oldmanwastragicallykilledwhenthekitehewasyingattachedtoacarcol-lapsedplunginghim100feetontothetotheice.Snowmobileaccidentsonthelakehavealsoclaimednumerouslives.InJanuary1998thetownshipsmosttragicsnowmobileaccidentstookplacenearCaesareaoveraspanofafewdays.Fourmenlosttheirlivesinthreeseparateac-cidentswhentheirsnowmobilesplungedthroughthiniceinthesameareaofthelake.MorefatalitieswererackedupinMarch2007whentwomencollidedathighspeedwhilemeasur-ingthespeedoftheirsnowmobiles.Bothmenwerepronounceddeadatthesceneoftheaccident.WhileLakeScugogisoneofthiscommuni-tiesmostvaluedassetsprovidingpleasureforthousandsofpeopleyear-roundunfortunatelyitsexpansiveinvitingpanoramacanalsobringtragedy...ifusedwithoutrespectforitsdangers.ByJ.PeterHvidstenFocusonScugogTHINICEVenturingontoafrozenlakecanbedeadlyandunforgivingADepartmentofTransportdiverisseenheredescendingintoLakeScugognearCaesareainMarch1955torecoverthebodiesoftwomenwhowerepulledtothebottomofthelake.