Hunters rescued while out turr hunting on saturday

[kenneth Griffiths]

	Rescued Hunter Speaks About Ordeal Tuesday , February 12 2013 One of the men plucked from a boat by a Cormorant helicopter on the weekend says had the team from 103 Search and Rescue from Gander not shown up, he doesn't think they would have made it through the night. Jamie Oldford, his brother Rodney and Andy Cook went hunting for turrs Saturday morning on Indian Bay. They towed their 16 foot open boat out over the ice and went out on the water. They were making their way back Saturday afternoon but couldn't get their boat through the ice. Jamie Oldford says, at about 1,000 feet from shore, they got out of the boat to see if they could chop the ice themselves. They ran back to the boat after hearing a cracking sound.  They jumped in the boat but it went through the ice, leaving everyone soaking wet. Oldford says they got the motor going again and broke up some more ice but came up against tougher ice and became stuck again. Then the wind picked up, which caused the ice to back up around the engine. Rodney and Andy had on snow suits, and Jamie was wearing a survival suit. They were wet and extremely cold, and only had a rubber coat for cover as they huddled together. They did have cell phones to keep in contact with friends on shore, police and search and rescue. Oldford says they heard the Cormorant from 103 Search and Rescue approach but the crew didn't see their first flare. Oldford says they saw the second one, then saw the blinking lights of the helicopter hovering above. He was so very relieved when the SAR tech hoisted him up. The three men were treated in hospital in Gander and released. Oldford says his brother and brother-in-law thank their rescuers and the people who helped them throughout the ordeal.     by VOCM

[kenneth Griffiths]

Not sure, but will try to find out.

[Fred Woodman]

A lot of the salt water hunting that gets done is done during the "calm before the storm" thats just how it is. Anyone who has spent any time hunting turres has hunted ahead of storms.

Their problem wasn"t weather it was the ice. Apparently the pressure edge on the ice made the ice pack too tight on the land for them to get back thru.

Given that they had to haul the boat out to get in the water.They should of anticipated not being able to get back. But hindsight is always 20/20

Have they recovered their boat ?

[Peter Emberley]

The question begs to be asked. Why would anyone go out in a boat, bird hunting with a massive storm coming straight towards them?

 There were all kinds of warnings of the impending storm, high winds, snow and freezing rain.

 This story could have ended tragically. Thank God they made it home alive. It just seems to me there were some very bad decisions made and hopefully we will all learn something from this.

[kenneth Griffiths]

Thank god they made it home alive.