By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PORTAGE LAKE, Maine — The operator of a trail groomer is lucky to be alive, after the machine he was driving went through the ice on Portage Lake early on the morning of March 26 — a day he’ll likely remember, since it was also his 63rd birthday. Ken Fones, a volunteer with the Portage Lake Snowmobile Club, was operating a 2003 John Deere trail grooming machine and was crossing the inlet at the northern end of the lake — having just completed ITS 85 and the Eagle Lake trail — when the accident occurred.
Ethan Buuck, a warden with the Maine Warden Service, said while the ice had been tested earlier in the week and was still considered thick enough to support a vehicle, a combination of factors caused the ice to be thinner where the accident took place.
“Where the groomer went through, the ice was weak due to fishing holes cut in the ice and water current running under,” said Buuck. “Water current from the inlet mixing with the holes cut in the ice weakened it considerably.”
Ice depth varies this time of year, he said.
“It depends. Inlets and outlets may only have a few inches where some other spots may have almost three feet,” Buuck said. “The water in that area is 12-15 feet deep.”
When the groomer went into the water, the windows reportedly blew out, allowing Fones to escape. He was able to pull himself atop the machine, then pull himself onto the ice. From there, he walked to a nearby camp for assistance.
“The operator had a cut to his face and some scratches due to the glass breaking. He was sent to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for a suspected fracture in his neck. He was discharged late last week,” said Buuck.
With the aid of an excavator provided by Mark Rafford, of Ashland, the groomer was removed from the lake later that day. Though larger than the groomer, officials were able to find an area of ice thick enough to support the excavator.
“The excavator was able to sit on over 30 inches of ice and they used cribwork below it to help disperse the weight,” explained Buuck.
Assisting with the rescue operation were officials with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the MWS, Rafford, members of the Portage Lake Snowmobile Club, diver Jim Kaiser and other volunteers.
Kaiser is no stranger to such rescue operations.
“I was contacted at work by the club. I picked up my brother Pete to tend for me and we drove out to the lake,” said Kaiser. “Once there, the people working to retrieve the groomer gave us all the information about the machine and the best place to hook up the cable. They also helped bring the scuba gear out to the site.”
Once the excavator got into position, Kaiser said he dove to the groomer to take a look, then resurfaced for the cable.
Kaiser said it’s not unusual to have problems during cold-weather dives.
“I had to get out of the water once because my regulator froze and to untangle the safety line for the second time. There was too much stuff sticking out and I felt it was safe without the safety line, so we removed it,” he said.
On the third attempt Kaiser was able to get the cable attached and exited the water.
“The crew used a chainsaw to cut the ice and drag the groomer over 100 feet toward shore until the water was shallower and the excavator pulled the groomer up on the ice,” said Kaiser, who credited teamwork for the successful recovery of the John Deere. “All the people out there worked hard and even provided us with food and a warm place to change.”
“It was quite an experience,” said Kaiser.
This isn’t the first such recovery for Kaiser.
“This is the largest vehicle that I have helped to remove this way but not the first. A few years ago I helped recover a truck from Scopan Lake,” said Kaiser, who noted he’s been diving since the 1970s.
It’s believed the John Deere was totaled as a result of the accident, but was insured.
With warmer temperatures becoming the norm, Buuck advises outdoor enthusiasts to use caution around area waterways.
“Test the ice as you go and know where you are going. Don’t go alone; take a friend and tell someone where you are going and when you’ll be back,” said Buuck.
“The ice is changing every hour this time of year. It’ll be a different scenario every day from here on until ice out,” said Buuck.
