The RCMP and Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association is reminding people to stay off frozen waters until the province receives at least two straight weeks of freezing temperatures.

Craig Cleary, a sergeant with the Lumsden RCMP detachment, said they received a complaint that a vehicle had gone through the ice on Last Mountain Lake near Regina Beach on Nov. 14. After investigating, it was found that a collapsible ice-fishing shack that two fishermen were packing up was mistaken for a vehicle and no one actually went through the ice.

Cleary said it is the reality that people like to get out to experience ice fishing whenever they get the chance, but he encourages everybody to “use common sense” when venturing out on the ice and to make sure they are well informed about “where the safer parts” of the ice are.

He said the RCMP receives calls every winter of people or vehicles going through the ice and at this time of year it is “definitely not thick enough” to take the risk.

“We certainly don’t recommend (people) to go on the ice this early in the season because of the fluctuating temperatures,” said Cleary. “Two winters ago we actually had people go through the ice in the middle of December.”

Chris Brewer, CEO of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, said good blue ice that is 10 to 12 inches thick is needed before heading out onto freezing waters with a snowmobile. He said the problem right now is there is snow covering the little amount of ice on bodies of water, which actually helps insulate the water and keep the heat in.

A snowmobile driver died last week outside the community of Deschambault Lake, 460 km northeast of Saskatoon. His snowmobile was found partially submerged through the ice in the lake.

Brewer said snowmobiles are “heavy machines that could go through ice easily” if people take them onto ice that is not thick enough.

He said people that head out on the trails, even if not onto ice, should always carry a cell phone with them and winter safety equipment such as a blanket and warm clothes just in case of an emergency. A “buddy system” for all snowmobile riders is also recommended.

“That means using two snowmobiles and not just two people on a snowmobile,” said Brewer, noting people can stray pretty far on the machine where a walk back could pose a big problem. “Remember a snowmobile can travel a lot faster than a person can walk.”