Tay Township, Ontario (Rajeev Sharma): Emergency crews in Tay Township, Ontario, successfully executed a dramatic ice rescue late Friday evening, March 27, 2026, after a snowmobile crashed through the ice on Georgian Bay. Southern Georgian Bay OPP received a distress call just before 10:00 PM reporting that a sled had gone through the ice several hundred metres offshore near Robin’s Point Road. Two snowmobiles were reportedly travelling together when one broke through the rapidly thinning surface, causing both riders to plunge into the frigid water.
The riders’ survival was credited largely to their use of survival flotation suits, which kept them buoyant and insulated while they awaited help. While the second snowmobile managed to return to the shoreline safely, the two individuals in the water were rescued by Tay Township firefighters. Both were subsequently transported to a local hospital as a precautionary measure to be treated for cold exposure. An OPP helicopter dispatched from Toronto was ultimately stood down once all individuals were confirmed to be safely off the ice.
Following the incident, Constable Aaron Coulter of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP issued a stern warning to the public, noting that spring temperatures have made ice conditions across the region “increasingly unpredictable and unsafe.” He urged residents and visitors to stay off all frozen waterways entirely, regardless of how solid they may appear. According to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), all trails in Simcoe, Dufferin, Grey, and Bruce counties are now officially closed for the season due to these deteriorating conditions.
