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Darwin Awards
2007 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

transmitting van that broke ic

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=558576

Loss of TV van estimated at $250,000

Attempt will be made to pull truck out today By JACQUELINE SEIBEL jseibel@journalsentinel.com Posted: Jan. 29, 2007 Muskego - A WDJT-TV (Channel 58) engineer told Muskego police Monday that the loss of the live transmitting van that broke through an iced-over channel on Big Muskego Lake would be up to $250,000.

Crews chipped away ice Monday from the submerged news van, which broke into the channel while the station was preparing a segment on snowmobiles and ice safety.

Chief engineer Dan Dyer said Monday that the station will not comment on the accident, but WDJT issued a statement on its Web site:

"This story hits close to home for our cbs 58 family. While doing a story on thin ice yesterday one of our colleagues mistook a frozen channel for a road at Big Muskego Lake. One of our mobile live units wound up submerged in about 5 feet of water. Fortunately, nobody was hurt."

According to police, Dyer estimated the loss of the live transmitting van to be from $200,000 to $250,000.

Kem Water Recovery of Muskego had to dig a 7-foot-wide and 150-yard-long trench, so a tow truck could drag the 5,000-pound van out of the water. The company expects to pull the truck out of the water today.

The van went into the channel about 4:15 p.m. Sunday, but subzero temperatures overnight caused the water to freeze around and inside the van, making the job more difficult.

The driver, Susan Wronsky, 27, who was alone, told police that she thought she was on the road when the ice gave way, and the van went down into 5 feet of water and muck, Lt. John LaTour said. She passed the pier and boat launch off Durham Drive and traveled 150 yards on the channel before the van sunk into the water. She escaped with no injuries.

The channel is lined with cattails.

Department of Natural Resources Warden Rick Reed said the organic material below the surface generates heat that weakens the ice. After Sunday's accident, the ice will be even weaker, he said. The boat launch will be flagged and marked, and people are advised not to go on the channel, he said.

The department likely will not cite the news station. A violation occurs if the property owner doesn't remove the vehicle within 30 days, he said. The cost to remove a vehicle from the ice can range from $500 up to $10,000 depending on the difficulty of the job, he said.

Submitted on 02/03/2007

Submitted by: Robert Johns
Reference: Milwaukee Journal

Copyright © 2007 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Graham said:
Definitely Toss: Other
While this is an interesting story, this particular event appears to be the unfortunate result of an accident, rather than an act of stupidity. Thanks for the submission though and keep sending them in.


James said:
Definitely Toss: Other
I agree. The irony of all this is that the News van was there to report on...yes...the dangers of thin ice! Otherwise, it was an unfortunate miscalculation which, under the circumstances, could have happened to anyone!


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