[fatlazyless]

Here's another way to make an el cheapo pfd, for about 5-dollars or less; take a foam flotation noodle ...... you know, one of those summer water toys.....a colorful foam noodle.....can be 2", 3" or 5" diameter x about 48" length....whatever works for you......and trim off one end so it's the correct length to be worn as a somewhat tight waist belt......and thread a sturdy line down through the center hole that runs the length of the noodle.....and tie it off.....making it into a foam noodle waist belt.

If you end up in the lake, chances are the noodle will rise up under your arm pits, under your arms, and do a good positive flotation to keep you up top the water.

Reading the Boston Globe article, it says something like the F & G officers watched through their binoculars from a distance, as the 15 year old-snowmobiler repeatedly struggled getting himself up out of the water and onto the thin ice, with the ice repeatedly giving way, and dumping him back into the water, until he disappeared below the surface.

So, would a home-made, el cheapo noodle pfd have helped him or what?

In addition, a usable set of ice rescue picks can be made using two six inch steel nails and an old shoe lace .....the nails cost about 60-cents each....plus attach a good loud whistle to the ice picks shoe lace....all very useful for getting out of the water and up onto the ice, and getting rescued, or doing a self-rescue.

If you really want to plan ahead, maybe pack a high quality p,b & j sandwich, Teddy super crunch - Smuckers red raspberry jam-dark pumperknickle bread into a water tight freezer bag.....and you are good to go eat'n your sandwich......and toot'n on the loud whistle while you await a rescue.....way out there on the ice ....... helloooooooo NH F&G airboat ....... such a great looking airboat......nice to see you!

You know that a home made noodle pfd could maybe be worn either on the outside of a parka, or underneath a parka......maybe use a blue noodle to go with a grey parka or so....for color coordination.....and either hang the shoelace-nails ice picks around your neck, or tied loosely to the noodle belt.......that seems like it would probably work very good, plus a foam noodle could provide a good soft cushion under your chest, between you and the ice surface, as you claw your way across the thin ice using the ice nail picks...... toward stronger ice. Noodles are probably surprisingly strong, and durable, when used like this with a good quality 3/8" line threaded down through its' center hole, to make it a noodle pfd belt.