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A terrifying incident unfolded on Sunday (March 14) when Leanne Tapley from Island Falls, Maine, drove her brother's pickup truck across Moosehead Lake, only for it to plunge through the ice. Tapley was on an ice fishing trip with her family when the truck broke through the ice near the Rockwood boat launch around 1 a.m.
Tapley, who has experience ice fishing, was returning from using an outhouse when she veered slightly off her original path to avoid a slushy area. Despite measuring ice up to 36 inches thick earlier, the truck suddenly fell through the ice. "I just was rolling along and within a split second the truck just fell through," Tapley told WCSH.
As the truck sank, Tapley managed to roll down the window and climb onto the hood. She called her brother, who, along with her husband and other family members, rushed to her aid. Tapley's husband helped her jump safely onto the ice. She then changed into dry clothes and was unharmed.
Plans are in place to remove the truck on Wednesday.
Despite the ordeal, Tapley remains determined to return to Moosehead Lake, though she vows never to drive a truck on the ice again. "God was 100% watching over me," she said, expressing gratitude for her safety.