North York man missing since Sunday was found dead in Lake Simcoe yesterday, York Regional Police said.

A North York man missing since Sunday was found dead in Lake Simcoe yesterday, York Regional Police said.

Ilia Vaxman, 60, told his family Sunday morning that he was going ice fishing but he never returned home.

A desperate search ended when heavy fog lifted over the south end of Lake Simcoe and police were able to get their helicopter into the air.

The body was spotted off Roches Point in the Town of Georgina, police said.

As searchers began the second day of hunting for Vaxman, they were still hopeful of finding Vaxman safe and sound.



"We had witnesses who spotted him out on the ice on Sunday afternoon," Const. Marina Orlovski said. "It was still a search and rescue operation."

Vaxman's car was found early Monday morning on shore, giving police, as well as firefighters from Georgina and Innisfil, a focus for their hunt.

CFB Trenton search and rescue and three air boats were also used.

Poor visibility from heavy fog had prevented use of the York Regional Police helicopter before a break in the weather yesterday afternoon, police said.

The warm temperatures added to the instability of the ice and lakes, and rivers in south-central Ontario are not safe to walk on right now.

Police are advising anyone heading out to check with local authorities about the soundness of the ice at any time of year, regardless of the temperatures. Heavy snowfall can also insulate water and prevent it from freezing.

People should never go alone and always wear proper flotation attire when heading out onto frozen water.

Also be wary of grey, dark or porous spots in the ice because the strongest ice is usually hard and blue, police said.