---Bottom Out
by: Jeff Philipp
(This event took place Friday January, 14, 2000)
If you thought you were having a bad day... think again... These pictures were taken at 3:00 PM today. (about -37 today ... and yes thats CELCIUS for people south of the Canadian border!)
For those of you who do not watch the news... or live in the south and do not watch the news ... The Fort Providence Ice Bridge (8 km from where I live) had been rated for 4,000Kg (light traffic) and this driver (PetroHaul) was taking a fully loaded B-Train of fuel to Yellowknofe (approx 61,000kg)....
He made it about half way accross the river before breaking through... luckily the truck did not sink (fuel being lighter than water, air pockets in the tanks...etc)... the driver walked for probably an hour and a half
(after diving from the truck) until he got a ride (somewhere near the ferry crossing).
He froze his hands and feet pretty badly but is alive and OK. The ferry is running but I guess he was either new to the North or thought the ice bridge would save him a few minutes... who knows...
