Bay Roberts are warning snowmobilers to stay off the ice after a snowmobile went through the ice in Butlerville this past weekend.

Police, Spaniard’s Bay Fire Department and the Avalon North Wolverines Search and Rescue attended the scene.

The 25-year-old operator of the machine was not injured and had freed himself from the ice prior to the arrival of emergency responders.

The ice on the pond was thin and not suitable for crossing.

Due to the lack of consistently cold weather this winter, most bodies of water throughout the province are not safe for travel, having no ice coverage, areas of thin ice, or open areas.

RCMP NL encourages snowmobile operators to avoid travel over bodies of water where possible and to continually check ice conditions.

In 2020, 17 people operating recreational vehicles died, three of them on snowmobiles.