[fatlazyless]

On Tuesday, March 5 at about noon, on a very gray cloudy day, the NH Fish and Game had ice diving practice training in Center Harbor Bay. About five pick-up trucks, two dive team trailers, about ten(?) officers and a 20' jon boat powered by a large airplane propeller were present at the Center Harbor boat launch, town docks, and parking area.

Watching the 20' ice air boat moving out across the gray ice, the weak gray ice didn't have strength enough to support the boat so it plowed through it and was partially supported by water and partially by soft ice for about 300-yards. F & G divers in complete black wet suits took turns making practice dives through the ice opening created by the air boat. This went on for a few hours time with repeated dive practice training drills with different divers making practice dives out there through the gray ice. Maybe the ice could support a person walking but could not support the weight and power of the ice boat which looked like it was mostly supported by the water, under the ice, or something, as it has the ability to move across ice, water, and soft slushy ice. It made a heck of a lot of loud noise, coming from the engine, as it powers across the weak ice.

So, the ice dive, recovery team doesn't just magically happen, it takes practice and team work to be able to locate and remove a dead drowned body from under the ice, somewhere down there.