Warm weather conditions create a dangerous environment for snowmobilers. This winter, police have responded to numerous reports of snowmobiles falling through unstable ice, many of which have proven fatal for their operators. Over the last 10 years, OPP says that of the 158 snowmobile fatalities that have occurred in the province, 36 per cent of them happened on frozen lakes and rivers.
If you survive the ordeal, you’ll still have to deal with your sunken snowmobile. While emergency services are required to save you, they’re not responsible for recovering your vehicle, you are. And no, leaving it at the bottom of the lake isn’t an option.
The machines contain gas and oil, and can damage a lake’s ecosystem, says Pierre Lafond, owner of Lafond’s Towing and Recovery Ltd. in Sturgeon Falls—a company that specializes in removing vehicles from lakes. “Most of the time, what happens after a vehicle goes through the ice, is the authorities know about it. What they’re going to do is call the Ministry of Environment,” he says. “Then the ministry contacts us to see what the process is for removing it.”
Since snowmobiles in Ontario are registered with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), they can always be traced back to the owner. Meaning even if you leave your snowmobile at the bottom of the lake, you’ll still have to foot the bill. The ministry could also add additional fines if the vehicle was leaking gas or oil into the lake.
How much does it cost to recover a snowmobile from the lake?
Lafond points out that the cost of recovery is typically covered by the owner’s insurance. Depending on the situation, the cost of recovering a snowmobile can range from $5,000 to $20,000. “It all depends on whether you need divers; where it is; how deep it is, and how much work it’s going to be,” he explains.
If the vehicle’s deep enough that workers can’t manually hook the winch around the snowmobile from the surface, then you’ll likely need divers. If the divers are called in, your bill’s going to be at least $10,000, Lafond says.
If the snowmobile is over 30 metres deep, then it’s going to cost even more. At that depth, due to the pressure, you’d need to bring in specialized divers who use a decompression chamber. “I wouldn’t even want to know what it would cost for that,” Lafond says.
In many cases, though, the cost is worth it. High-end snowmobiles can sell for around $20,000. Once salvaged, Lafond says usually only the motor needs to be replaced for the vehicle to start again. “There’s a little farm tractor that plows the road to go to a commercial outfit for ice fishing in the area,” he says. “The tractor went through the ice, and we were only able to retrieve it about two months later because the ice wasn’t thick enough for the amount of weight and stress we needed to haul it out. Once we got it out, the owner took it to the shop—they had to redo the engine—but that tractor’s still running today.”
How do they recover the snowmobile from the lake?
Each company has different tactics for recovering vehicles from the water. For Lafond, his company built a proprietary machine affectionately called “Big Red”. Welded onto a pontoon base, the machine uses a series of battery-powered winches to pull vehicles to the surface. Many companies wait until the ice has gone out and use a barge to recover snowmobiles. Lafond’s machine can both slide across the ice in the winter and float on open water in the summer.
Lafond typically uses GPS coordinates provided by the owner or authorities to find the vehicle. If it’s not in the location specified, divers may be called in to locate it.
Big Red requires between four to six people to operate, and the recovery process can take anywhere from six to 12 hours depending on the depth of the vehicle. While Lafond has never had to test the maximum weight, he estimates that Big Red can handle 18 to 20 tons.
So far, the company hasn’t had to recover any snowmobiles this winter, but Lafond says it could get busy once the ice goes out. It’s an easier and safer process to retrieve vehicles in the spring and summer, making Lafond’s fee more affordable.
“Last year, we did one recovery in the winter, but we did six of them within a month of the ice being off the lake,” he says. “The insurance companies are trying to find ways to save money, and waiting is more cost-effective for them.”
Related Story Snowmobile ice safety tips even veteran riders should read
Related Story Three people die in separate ice-related incidents in cottage country