Retrieving A Sunken Snowmobile

[SkunkedAgain]

Hearing that some areas have weak ice and seeing that snow is possibly coming next week, I started thinking about it being a bad winter for ice on the smaller bays. That led to thinking about snowmobiles sinking. So how does one recover a snowmobile that's gone through the ice in 10ft of water in the middle of a bay? Do you have to hire someone to get it out? How can you get it above the ice and pull it to safety if you go the DIY route? I did a web search but didn't find much info.

[side_laker]

Sounds like your in a pickle 

[leech~~]

By Law you have to remove it. Most hire a recovery company and if the ice is to thin they mark the spot with a GPS or thin ice sign and come back once the ice is thicker and cut a hole to dive down and hook it up to a wench system put up over the hole.

[CigarGuy]

Glad your alive!  See if Gary can pull you out with his hydrofoil. Youtube has a few videos.

https://youtu.be/dzFpzq-DmsE

Edited December 12, 2015 by CigarGuy

[Cliff Wagenbach]

10 ft. deep would not be to hard to retrieve yourself once the ice gets thick enough to put down planks on the ice and hook a 4 wheeler winch to the machine.

Deeper then that,you would need a diver to hook the machine for you!

Cliff

[Weathertite]

The problem with that is I believe you only have a short period of time to get it out of the water. I think the fines are still pretty steep. Weathertite

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks for the concern guys! I haven't been up since mid-November so I assure you that my old, rusty-white Polaris is still waiting for her first run of the season.

In case something ever happened, I wanted to have an idea of how to do it before I was in a rush to get it out.

[Weathertite]

Best idea would be to keep her on the top side of the ice .  Lol

[DrJuice1980]

I believe its 45 days to get it out yourself, after which its considered an environmental hazard.  Then the DNR will step in and coordinate the removal, which will likely be MUCH greater than paying for recovery.

[smurfy]

I had a good friend dump his wheeler in. man did he got his butt chewed from da missis!!!!!!! it wasn't all to far from shore but in 25-30 ft of water. he managed to get out. what he did was get a boat, used my underwater camera, a long rope and a big treble/gaffe hook and used another ATV to pull it to shore.

he eventually got it back up and running!!!!!!

[CigarGuy]

Hey SkunkedAgain,  My neighbor talked to Gary and he's riding his wheeler out to his place in Black Bay.  Said 5-6" of ice.  We just got about 4" of heavy wet snow last night and it sounds like more is on the way.  Hope that doesn't screw things up. 

[SkunkedAgain]

Yup, I get regular ice reports. I know that it's safe for me to get into the bay right now.

So it sounds like you need to hook the sled somehow (grapple hook, etc), and either find stable ice to pull it onto or use ice saws/chainsaws to cut a lane towards shore. Otherwise hire it out.

[redneckdan]

If anyone here finds themselves in this position, I do have a logging winch with 800' of 3/8" cable.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Good info. to have on hand Dan!

Thanks!

Cliff

[fishingdad]

So has anybody walked out anywhere on vermilion since the snow fell on the ice that had formed? Is it a slushy mess or did the colder nights firm it up?  

[Cliff Wagenbach]

A friend and I plan to try to get out this afternoon somewhere on Vermilion.

I will post with our results this evening.

Cliff

[Weathertite]

Good luck Cliff , Hope you get into the mother load of fish. Please let us know how you did and what you found for ice conditions. Be smart and stay safe !!!!