A man camped on the ice on Ocean Lake in Fremont County woke up stranded hundreds of yards from shore early Saturday after the ice broke up overnight.

“The funny thing is, I got there in the morning, and he didn’t even know he’d floated away. I called him and I was like, ‘Dude, you floated away,’” Jake David of Riverton told Cowboy State Daily. 

Something Felt Wrong

David and the other man were camped out in their ice fishing tents. But David said he left the night before because “it felt weird out there.”

He’s glad he did. 

“What happened was, the ice cracked overnight” and his friend ended up with about 300 yards of open water between the camp and shore, David said. 

“And the funny thing was, the ice was really thick. It seemed OK,” David said.

He identified his friend as “Zack.”

Riverton Search and Rescue brought the man back to shore. His name wasn’t released, and he couldn’t be reached for comment.

Decided It Was Time To Leave

David and his friend are experienced at ice fishing. One of their favorite spots is Ocean Lake, west of Riverton. They sometimes stay overnight on the ice, maximizing their chances at snagging lunkers. 

But late Friday, David said he got a foreboding feeling and opted out of pulling an all-nighter.

He said Zack “was still hauling in the fish” when he left to hike back across the ice to his pickup. 

When he arrived at shore, he noticed he was quite a way from his pickup, even though it should have been a straight walk back from the ice camp.

“I didn’t think too much of it. I thought well, maybe I’d gotten off track because it was dark,” David said. 

Looking back, he wonders if it wasn’t because the ice had already shifted. 

‘How Are We Going To Get Out There?

David and his son returned the next morning and were shocked by what they saw. 

“My son looked out at the tent, out across all that open water and said, ‘Ummm, how are we supposed to get out there?’” he said. 

Fortunately, Ocean Lake is also popular for waterfowl hunting, and some duck hunters happened to be there, with a boat. 

The duck hunters helped haul fishing poles and other gear back to shore. And then Riverton Search and Rescue showed up with more watercraft. 

They retrieved Zack and the rest of the fishing gear, and David said he’s “thankful that all my gear didn’t end up at the bottom of the lake.”

But he’s far more thankful that Zack didn’t come to any harm, despite having a weird, harsh awakening that morning.

David said things could have ended far worse than they did – had the ice broken up enough to plunge Zack’s tent into the water. 

“I hope this serves as a reminder for everybody to be safe out there,” he said.

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.

The Research and Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reports that the number of occupational fatalities in Wyoming rose from 34 in 2022 to 45 in 2023. That’s an increase of 11 deaths, or 32.4%..

Variations in fatalities from year to year are, to some extent, the result of the random nature of work-related accidents.

Furthermore, they note that there isn’t a direct relationship between workplace fatalities and workplace safety.

For example, suicides and homicides that occur in the workplace are included as occupational fatalities.

Workplace fatalities are counted in the state where the injury occured, not necessarily the state or the state of death.

In 2023, 17 deaths occured in natural resources and mining. Of those, nine were reported in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting; and eight took place in mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction.

Across all industries, two-thirds of 2023 workplace deaths were the result of transportation incidents.

Transportation incidents include highway crashes, pedestrian vehicular incidents, aircraft incidents, and water vehicle incidents.

The fatality counts featured in their report are compiled by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries program. It is a joint effort of the Research and Planning section and the Bureau of Labor Statistics and may not match those from other programs like OSHA because of differences in sccope and methodology.

• I took a three-day trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that cost nearly $3,700.
• Luxury hotel stays and transportation were the priciest aspects of my trip.
• Traveling during shoulder season and spending nothing on experiences helped me save.

If there’s anywhere to splurge on luxury travel, it’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The wealth enclave comprising Teton County is packed with top-tier resorts and wellness experiences, multimillion-dollar vacation homes, and elevated Western boutiques surrounded by mountains.

I took a three-day trip to Jackson Hole in September. Here’s what it cost:

Transportation: $980 on rideshare services and round-trip flight tickets from NYC

Accommodation: $2,465 for two nights in upscale hotels and one night in a hostel

Food: $230

Activities: Free

While nearly $3,700 may sound steep for a short getaway, I could have easily doubled my budget had I not been conscious of how I spent — and when.

Looking back on the trip, I think I did a fine job balancing my budget by indulging in some areas at the expense of others.