Locale: the boonies, along the shore of a large lake
Time: too late for any self-respecting person to be up
Season: winter, just after a storm
Terrain: 2 1/2 feet of very cold snow - unplowed, of course
Dispatch: ***Fire, First Responders, please respond to report of two snowmobiles through the ice. Off *** Point.
So we sign on. Arrive at the scene. Split into several groups to search the ice from shore with mags. Does anyone out there know what it's like to be under 5' tall and have to crawl through snowbanks more than half your size - and your "partner" on the search is 6'6"!
Anyway. Along comes the chief of police. Climbing out of the cruiser, he hitches up his britches, grunting with the effort. And bellows:
I DON'T WANT ANYONE OUT ON THAT
ICE!!! IT ISN'T SAFE!!!
DUH
He was finally told by an officer that if he didn't get back in the cruiser and be quiet, we'd have the county deputy on duty come and arrest him. After all, what did he think we were DOING out there?
By the way - after everything was said and done, we found nothing, even the next day. Ah well. Such is life.