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As winters warm, falling through the ice is becoming more common — and deadly
Warming winters have shortened ice seasons by over 40 days in parts of Alaska, increasing fatal risks for hunters relying on unstable frozen waterways, researchers say.
- Last November, Elmer Brown, 45, fell through thin ice while hunting caribou in northern Alaska and later died of hypothermia after all three hunters plunged into frigid water.
- Researchers say warming winters are making ice thinner and less predictable across the Northern Hemisphere, eroding generations of ice-safety knowledge as more than 80% of communities not connected to the road system face limited travel options.
- A 2020 study found drowning rates surged fivefold near freezing, with deaths peaking in March and April during transition months when ice forms or melts.
- With frozen waterways unreliable, hunters report taking greater risks as the spring seal-hunting season shortens, said Roswell Schaeffer.
- Long-Term trends—more than 40 fewer Bering Sea ice days since the 1970s and lakes losing some 17 days of ice cover per century—plus herds arriving in October or November reshape fall hunting practices.
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Total News Sources22
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center19Last UpdatedBias Distribution86% Center
Bias Distribution
- 86% of the sources are Center
86% Center
C 86%
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