Watch Holly Man Save Snowmobiler After Ice Breaks on Michigan Lake

A Holly man is being credited with saving a snowmobiler’s life after the rider crashed through the ice on Bush Lake Sunday afternoon.

Wade Wines, 40, had spent the morning of Jan. 4 ice fishing on the frozen lake. Later that afternoon, still wearing his cold-weather gear, Wines was clearing snow off an ice rink in his yard for his children when he noticed a snowmobile fracturing the ice roughly 300 yards offshore.

Ice Rescue Unfolds on Bush Lake in Holly

The rider attempted to rev the engine to get free, but the ice buckled upward. The snowmobile flipped, sending both the machine and its 36-year-old rider into the icy water.

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Wines immediately ran toward the breaking ice while calling 911. As he reached the opening, he saw the snowmobiler surface and remove his helmet. With the ice cracking beneath him, Wines handed the man a set of ice-safety picks, allowing him to stabilize himself at the edge of the hole.

Holly Resident Describes Frantic Moments on Cracking Ice

Another neighbor came outside and handed Wines a rope. Wines tossed it into the water, and the snowmobiler secured it around his midsection. Despite the unstable ice, Wines was able to pull the man from the frigid water on his own.

READ MORE: Drone Helps Rescue Couple Who Fell Through Ice on Saginaw Bay

Wines estimated the entire rescue took just three to four minutes. Holly police arrived as the snowmobiler was being brought to shore and prepared a kayak as a backup rescue option.

According to MLive, Wines said:

I was surprised with myself afterward. After the adrenaline wore off, I kind of scared myself being out there. At the time, I was just thinking, ‘I had to get him out.’ He was screaming for help.

Emergency responders took the snowmobiler to a local hospital, where he was treated for broken ribs and facial bruising. Wines said the moment became emotional when his children came outside shortly afterward.

The snowmobiler later posted a message in a Holly community Facebook group thanking the man who rescued him, writing that he was alive and grateful for another day.

Police Remind Michigan Residents That No Ice is Safe

Later Sunday, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team recovered the snowmobile from the bottom of Bush Lake. Holly police praised Wines and others who helped, while reminding residents that no ice is ever completely safe.