Oh, Shit!

John Lennon once said, “everyone loves you when you’re six feet in the ground.”

I don’t know why I’ve always felt the need to put this theory to the test, it’s just who I am.

So when I came across the ad for a part time job crossing the frozen lakes of the Alaskan wilderness as an ice trucker, I jumped on board. The money was stupid good, and at 24, the risk seemed minimal, I mean, do you really think they’re gonna film someone die on live tv, good for ratings maybe, but not great for sequels.

They paired me with an old timer named Dale, someone who had been running rigs over the ice for two decades. So, I was sure they were just hyping the danger, to amp up views for the upcoming episodes.

Dale had two months to get me ready, and he worked me hard. The weather turned early and was well below zero before anyone expected. He had me dropping gears and chaining tires on my own with three weeks to spare.

His praise made me cocky and before long, none of the other drivers would haul with us. Dale tried to warn me that tandem drivers were much safer than solo crews, but I told him we were better alone and refused to change my ways.

They hooked the entire rig with cameras and mics from every perspective possible, so as not to miss any action or drama.

Dale and I had the best drama, he tried his best to reel in my stupidity, but I wouldn’t have it.

They named us legends of lunacy and pitted us against a crew named slow and steady. The irony was hilarious to me.

By the first day of filming, the temps had risen far above freezing. Knowing that they nearly called the haul off was intoxicating.

Hearing the ice cracking below the chain’s fueled a dangerous adrenaline in me. Dale hesitated continuing the trip, but without him accompanying me, we would both have lost our pay.

As we reached the broadest part of the lake, the trailer broke through the ice, my training kicked in and I shifted gears to gain better traction. Before we could reach the banks, the cab began to fill with water. I heard Dale talk text his wife, “I’m afraid this might be my last run, babe.”

Thinking this was for ratings I smiled and yelled, “oh, shit! We’re not going to make it, are we?” As we completely disappeared under the ice.