RCMP urge caution after snowmobile plunges through thin ice on northern N.S. lake

Two men were uninjured over the weekend when the snowmobile they were riding plunged through thin ice on a lake in northern Nova Scotia.

It has prompted RCMP in Nova Scotia to ask those using snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles to think about safety.

"Sunday morning we were called via 911 of a snowmobile that went through the ice," said RCMP Sgt. Andrew Joyce. "There were two sets of footprints coming from the ice to the shore."

Through their investigation, police have determined two men drove their snowmobile onto Sutherland Lake in Cumberland County and went through the ice on Saturday. The local fire department was also called to the scene.

"When you looked out onto the lake everything was kind of the same, but there was one spot where you could see it had been disturbed," said Chief Justin Rushton of the Westchester Volunteer Fire Department. "You could see where the track of the snowmobile was heading and that's where it ended."

Police say the lake was only two metres deep where the snowmobile went through.

They say people riding recreational vehicles need to use extreme caution and common sense.

"We need to be cognizant that waterways are not fully frozen," said Joyce. "If you are operating an all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile, be aware of your terrain."

Neither Joyce or Rushton could confirm if the snowmobile had been removed from the lake.

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