[Top-Water]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Here's another way to make an el cheapo pfd, for about 5-dollars or less; take a foam flotation noodle ...... you know, one of those summer water toys.....a colorful foam noodle.....can be 2", 3" or 5" diameter x about 48" length....whatever works for you......and trim off one end so it's the correct length to be worn as a somewhat tight waist belt......and thread a sturdy line down through the center hole that runs the length of the noodle.....and tie it off.....making it into a foam noodle waist belt.

If you end up in the lake, chances are the noodle will rise up under your arm pits, under your arms, and do a good positive flotation to keep you up top the water.

Reading the Boston Globe article, it says something like the F & G officers watched through their binoculars from a distance, as the 15 year old-snowmobiler repeatedly struggled getting himself up out of the water and onto the thin ice, with the ice repeatedly giving way, and dumping him back into the water, until he disappeared below the surface.

So, would a home-made, el cheapo noodle pfd have helped him or what?

In addition, a usable set of ice rescue picks can be made using two six inch steel nails and an old shoe lace .....the nails cost about 60-cents each....plus attach a good loud whistle to the ice picks shoe lace....all very useful for getting out of the water and up onto the ice, and getting rescued, or doing a self-rescue.

If you really want to plan ahead, maybe pack a high quality p,b & j sandwich, Teddy Bear super crunch-Smuckers red rasberry jam-dark pumperknickle bread into a water tight freezer bag.....and you are good to go eat'n your sandwich......and toot'n on the loud whistle while you await a rescue.....way out there on the ice ....... helloooooooo NH F&G airboat ....... such a great looking airboat......nice to see you!

Try to remember as you make a fool of yourself that a family is devastated by the loss of there son, not to mention the first responders who had to helplessly watch by and the folks that had to recover the body.

Not funny.