The lead sled hit the water and went through. In his attempt to avoid the water, the operator of the second machine swerved and hit a tree stump, flipping the sled and breaking the leg of a female passenger.

The rash of injuries is disheartening for the local firefighters, says District Chief Dave Ballingall.

"It's really quite frustrating for us. The ice conditions were really crappy this weekend, but people are still out there

riding, and riding in areas that are known to be open and unsafe," he said Monday morning.

In all three incidents, none of the riders had flotation suits and there were no signs of rescue equipment being carried, he added.

"It's totally frustrating. People know the conditions, they're just not adhering to the information... they all have the same attitude: It can't happen in my backyard; it's not gonna happen to me," said the District Chief.

Firefighters here have seen more than their share of injury and death involving snowmobiles, he said.

"Sure, we're trained to go out there and rescue them, but it's frustrating. Some of them know there's pressure cracks out there, yet they still go too fast, and others don't know they area and they still fly around out there," said DC Ballingall.

"They just have to stop and think for a minute about what they're doing."

Many firefighters still vividly recall January of 1998, when four people died on Lake Scugog in the span of a week. Snowmobile riders lost their lives when they hit open water on a stretch of the lake between Scugog Island at Caesarea, on the east side of the island.

Some firefighters, including D.C. Ballingall, watched in horror as riders drove into open water as a search for others took place in the dark of night.