Cedar Falls Man Drowns in George Wyth Lake

Wade William Clark, 51, of Cedar Falls, was pronounced dead at Allen Hospital Wednesday evening, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.

Clark had been ice fishing on George Wyth State Park lake in Waterloo when he fell through the ice.

The Courier reported a park ranger, Gary Dusenberry, heard a man calling for help at around 7:30 p.m. Unable to see the man through the fog, Dusenberry called 911, and Waterloo firefighters attached to safety lines began to search the ice. When they found Clark and pulled him from the ice, he was unconscious.

Clark's death is not the only recent fatality associated with ice fishing. Linda Jones, 64, of rural Prole, and George Pierce, 80, of Des Moines, died after falling through ice while fishing in rural Madison County on Monday.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resouces issued a warning Monday that fishers should stay off the ice in central and south Iowa, but yesterday's death highlights that recent warm temperatures have weakened ice even in northern counties.

In the warning, Ben Dodd, fisheries biologist with the DNR, says anglers should avoid wet or dark spots on the ice, approach the ice with the same caution as if it were early in the season and bring a set of ice picks. They should not go out alone. Other safety tips include having at least 50 feet of rope and a throwable floatation cushion.

“I would test the ice often, regardless of its location, because of the inconsistent weather that we have had,” Dodd said in the warning. “Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t look right, don’t go out."