It could have been worse, but a strong current and thin, rotten ice made for complex conditions.
by Dallas and Joshua Baillie, Baillie Boys Towing
Photos courtesy Baillie Boys Towing
On March 1, 2025, in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Baillie Boys Towing got a call about a truck that had cracked through the ice on a lake nearly 1.5 hours away. Our team knew this one would be a challenge, so we geared up with everything we had: a flat deck hauling one ATV and two UTVs, plus two trucks pulling trailers packed full of rigging gear and wood. It was going to be Josh Baillie, Kalin Baillie, Skylar Baillie, and Jayden Halliday on scene at Echo Lake.
Tow Canada, July-August 2025
“Locals who stopped by told us the water was only four to six feet deep—not terrible, but far from ideal.”
When we arrived, we knew immediately that this was going to be dangerous. The current from a river flowing into the lake ran directly through the spot where the truck had broken through the ice. Locals who stopped by told us the water was only four to six feet deep—not terrible, but far from ideal.
As we started unloading and carefully driving out onto the ice, we could hear it cracking beneath us. It was clear the ice around the truck was extremely thin. Then it happened—one of our own UTVs fell through. We managed to get it out quickly, but it was a harsh wake-up call. This recovery was going to be extremely sensitive.
We got all our rigging into place and began winching. The truck came up surprisingly easily and was soon sitting with all four tires on the ice surface. But daylight was fading fast. The ice around the truck was completely rotten—three feet thick in one spot, and just a few inches thick only a couple feet away—not enough to trust with any weight. One of our own operators was walking around the truck and fell through just from his own weight.
We were able to move the truck to a slightly safer spot on the ice, but by then, it was pitch black outside. We tried using both UTVs to pull it toward shore, but one snapped a CV axle. We had no choice but to call it for the night.
“It was a harsh wake-up call. This recovery was going to be extremely sensitive.”
The next day, we returned with a 4×4 truck outfitted with chains. The visibility was awful— thick fog everywhere—but we mapped out a route and committed. It was go time.
With careful maneuvering, the Baillie’s team was able to get the truck off the lake without any further issues. In the last three years, we have recovered three snowcats, two tractors, six trucks, and one car from the ice. Each recovery seems to be more complex than the last. But no matter how big or how messy the job is—we’re always ready.
Editor’s Note:
The Baillie’s team also captured the above operation on video. We highly recommend watching the entire recovery on the Baillie Boys TV YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=7NFMWODRhuk
Founded in 1990, Baillie Boys Towing is a locally owned and operated family business that has been serving the community around the Abernethy area in Saskatchewan for over 30 years.