Former Prior Lake resident Jeff Hanson ventured out to Prior Lake on Sunday, hoping to spend the afternoon ice fishing. He lived on the shores of Candy Cove until recently moving. He is well aware of how quickly ice conditions in the bay can change, particularly at this time of year.
Cars and trucks driven onto Prior Lake is a common sight during winter months. He soon watched a new GMC pickup approach the entrance to Candy Cove, staying close to the rocky shoreline. He quickly became concerned when the back tire of the pickup nearest the shore broke through the ice. A large boulder was the only thing preventing the vehicle from becoming further submerged.
Hanson said he approached the truck and introduced himself to the driver, Sergey Tkachuk, who had two children with him. He offered to help, as did Ryan Tomsich, a Candy Cove resident, who joined in the conversation and returned with boards and tow straps. Other neighbors gathered to discuss options. Someone even skated to the site, ready to assist. All agreed they had to be careful that their actions did not make the situation worse, but there was a need for urgency. The rescue plan was soon finalized.
“There was a strong sense of everyone working together to help a stranger in need, however they could,” Hanson said. “They came up with a good plan and the right resources to get safely off the ice.”
The plan included Hanson’s pickup and another vehicle to be connected as a chain, while kinetic tow straps that expand and contract when pulled were attached to the sinking pickup. While there was little traction, reinforcing boards helped stabilize the ice and served as a ramp to guide the truck out of the water, according to Hanson.
The group anxiously waited while the truck was pulled forward, and their efforts proved successful. Hanson said he is grateful no one was injured and there wasn’t so much as a scratch on the vehicle.
Tkachuk said this wasn’t the first time he and his children went out on the ice to fish. He said safety is always their number one priority, including driving with vehicle windows down in the event there needs to be a quick exit.
“It’s a lesson to learn,” he said. “My big thanks to Jeff and everyone who went above and beyond in helping us. We were so lucky to have people like them so close by.”
“The kids were happy and the community was buzzing,” Hanson said. “Together, the neighborhood came together to serve a brother in need, however they could, to ensure Sergey and his family were safe.”
He adds: “Please be on the lookout for your time to help a neighbor in need.”
Tkachuk’s truck wasn’t the only vehicle in peril on Prior Lake this weekend. The Scott County Sheriff’s Department put out an advisory after an all-terrain vehicle broke through the ice near the Wagon Bridge on Eagle Creek Avenue on Saturday.
