Fisherman charged after saving his friends

[fratri]

Very sad story and I guess it is just one more example of how things are not done like they were in the old days. Beware folks if your drinking while doing risky activities and you have a serious incident (accident should't really be a word) do not expect anyone to look the other way.

Lets not forget, the individual charged for drinking and driving only did so to try and save his friends life.
From the story I read (not from speculation) he was a passenger, saved a few lives, couldn't help the others so went to get help. Was he to stand there and say, I can't go for help because I was drinking and watch his friend die?

From the story he is a hero first. From the story......Drinking and driving had nothing to do with his friends death.

[smitty55]

Police were 100% correct to charge him.

2- It's hard to use the word lucky in this situation. However, everyone is lucky that this drunk guy on a snowmachine didn't kill someone else while driving to safety. Would you be defending him if he ran over a child while drunkenly driving that snowmachine? would his excuse (if true) still hold up for you as a justifiable defence?

"had a few drinks"? what does that mean? 3, probably not, it never does. if it was 3 he'd have said 3. So how great a danger was he? was he swerving and skidding all over and risking countless other lives? these are all questions for courts to mull.

So given that A) We can't believe his story until we talk to everyone and investigate, and B) He risked public safety to save himself. Yes i believe a charge and investigation is 100% warranted.

And as a follow-up, everyone that believes his story, can i ask why you're giving him the benefit of the doubt, as opposed to applying a critical and skeptical mind? Because that's what a police officer has to do. they can't just believe every story, they apply charges based on what they have in front of them and then let a court decide from there.

Also, to quote the story "[COLOR=#333333]Admittedly now, they left the hut too late in the day, when dusk was moving in.[COLOR=#333333]Admittedly now, they travelled too close to a small island on the way back, where the ice would have been thinner."
NEVER, does he say "admittedly now, I never should have been drunk in the first place. Maybe i could have done more, and then i wouldn't be the subject of a criminal case. Let this be a lesson, Ice fishing where snow machines are necessary, and getting drunk are not good bedmates"

Did i read the article correctly that rescuers in a airboat were there? why didn't one of them drive him back? instead of hoping on a sled KNOWINGLY drunk and risk others by driving yourself to shore????

MANY mistakes were made here... none by the police that charged him. He's lucky he didn't kill someone driving back drunk to top the day off.

he deserves this charge.

It's a sad sad case. i've been through the ice 6 times in my life, ice fishing and trapping. not always alone, but twice i was. Thank the lucky stars that i wasn't drunk.

So you've been through the ice 6 times. Well that explains a lot. You sure do like to assume a lot of things, including that must be good ice or how drunk he actually was. I'm sure glad you're not in power with an attitude like that.

[ldub]

So you've been through the ice 6 times. Well that explains a lot. You sure do like to assume a lot of things, including that must be good ice or how drunk he actually was. I'm sure glad you're not in power with an attitude like that.

Smitty

Straight shooter

Straight Shooter indeed, two thumbs up ldub

[Camp Red Maple]

Lets not forget, the individual charged for drinking and driving only did so to try and save his friends life.
From the story I read (not from speculation) he was a passenger, saved a few lives, couldn't help the others so went to get help. Was he to stand there and say, I can't go for help because I was drinking and watch his friend die?

From the story he is a hero first. From the story......Drinking and driving had nothing to do with his friends death.

I think you misunderstood what I meant. I was just stating a fact that simply in this day and age police don't look the other way. His condition and the tragic situation precipitated the constables reaction. Also if you read the story he went for help then went back to the scene then went back to the police station.

I think also drunk and drinking (possibly over .08) are not interchangeable. I am sure a few people have heard someone say...I wasn't drinking I took it easy and had just a couple.

The story lacks a real dearth of facts and information like why didn't the 2 guys who fell in go together on the snowmobile to shore for help and warmth.

I have done it myself but the reality is when something goes wrong only a fool is going to argue that drinking and ice fishing are a good fit...whether your driving or not. Especially given the erratic ice conditions we have experienced. For every tragic story there is dozens and dozens of very close calls because drinking caused poor judgement.

I respect the fact they are protecting their friends memory because at the end of the day they were just some regular guys that just didn't catch a break on that given night.

[flytyermiller]

So you've been through the ice 6 times. Well that explains a lot. You sure do like to assume a lot of things, including that must be good ice or how drunk he actually was. I'm sure glad you're not in power with an attitude like that.

So you've been through the ice 6 times. Well that explains a lot. You sure do like to assume a lot of things, including that must be good ice or how drunk he actually was. I'm sure glad you're not in power with an attitude like that.

Smitty

Straight shooter

Straight Shooter indeed, two thumbs up ldub

I think you need to look up the word "assume" my post is the opposite of an assumption, there are literally zero assumptions in it.
What i did was offer alternative possibilities that the police must consider.
My entire post was a statement saying that we can't make ANY assumptions, including assuming that the survivors story is 100% true, given that his story removes all blame from himself.
Skepticism yes, assumptive? not one bit. that's how policing works my friends. you have to question everything and this article is filled with holes in the story, and lacking information. you can't judge anything based on this article.

As for me going through the ice, i'm not sure how that has anything to do with my statements here or their credibility from your perspective, since you have no idea the circumstances that led me to go through. You're the one making assumptions on that point, and it only proves that your points are worthless. how does me going through the ice "explain a lot"? when you don't know how those incidents happened?
You're proving my point here, you hear i've been through the ice and assume it "says a lot about me"?
Your assumptions only speak to your state of mind and mentality, not mine.
use some critical thinking, apply some logic and try to see things from the perspective of an officer question a man that came back from a trip with a bunch of dead buddies with booze on his breath while driving. they have to be skeptical and uphold the law. A judge does his/her job from there.

[ldub]

I think smiity55 is assuming you may be a bit reckless or forgetful being you've gone through the ice 6 times. But seriously without being there none of us can truly know the facts. If you look at things from your point of view you should never drink alcohol because something could go wrong and you may be put into an emergency situation and have to perform.

[MarkB]

Well looks like the charges were dropped:

http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/26...charge-dropped

[ldub]

Can't comment why charges were dropped. That's what's wrong with this world.

[trimmer21]

Well looks like the charges were dropped:

http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/26...charge-dropped

....and that,folks,is the end of that.

[fratri]

Well looks like the charges were dropped:

http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/26...charge-dropped

This story brings tears to my eyes.....very sad, feel for him, his friends and the dead mans dad the most....
Rest in peace.