Fisherman Falls Through Ice  

5 Mar 2004 - and a near tragedy - Fishermen urged to stay off Lake Maxinkuckee By Anthony Gadson Pilot News

Culver - The ice fishing season is coming to a close, and that was made no more evident than when the Culver Fire Department, police, EMS, and Culver Academy Lake Patrol were called out on Lake Maxinkuckee to retrieve Terry Heret of Rochester out of the lake.

Departments were called out to the west side of the lake, in the area of 320 E. Davis St., at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday night.

Upon arrival at the location Culver Police Officer Chad Becker encountered Ronald Jelinek Jr. of Culver .

Jelinek informed Becker that he and his friend had fallen through the ice. Jelinek had fallen through the ice three times on his way back to shore, but Heret was still stuck 350 feet offshore.

Jelinek claimed that he didn't feel any injury from hypothermia and declined treatment.

Heret was able to gain the attention of officers by shining a flashlight from his location.

Two Culver firefighters then put on their gumby suits and took a basket out to retrieve Heret.

Once back onshore Heret was able to get his body temperature back up, and declined medical treatment.

Though there was no injuries suffered on the two's Wednesday night trip, residents are urged to refrain from ice fishing on the lake.

"I'd say that all the ice will be melted by the weekend," Culver Fire Chief Lance Overmyer said.

In a strange twist, the location that the two men went onto the lake, is the exact same location that two young men, Thomas Perkins and Brandon Robinson, had entered when they drowned in the lake at the end of 2003.