A death-defying feat planned by a local magician and escape artist has been cancelled — for now.
Roger Boucher has been training for the past few weeks for an underwater escape under the ice at Murray Point. The plan was to escape from locks and chains as part of a fish derby and polar bear dip fundraiser for the Lakeland & District Fire Department.
On Friday afternoon, the fire department announced that the polar dive and the escape were cancelled due to ice conditions and safety concerns. The weight of the snow on the ice was the biggest concern.
The department wasn’t able to cut the seven by 14-foot hole in the ice because of water pumping out, and because it could make the whole lake unsafe.
In a Facebook post, Boucher vowed to find another time and place to attempt the escape.
The fish derby is still a go. That’s planned for a 10 a.m. start.
More information is available on the fire department’s Facebook page.
Free fishing this weekend
It’s open season on ice fishing this weekend.
The provincial government is allowing residents and visitors to ice fish in any water body that has an open sport fishing season without purchasing a license on Feb. 16 and 17.
More information about fishing in Saskatchewan can be found in the Anglers’ Guide, available wherever fishing licenses or sold, or online at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/fishing
