House breaks through ice........

[fishersofmen]

Looks like these guys set up a little too early. I hope he has insurance on her.

$15,000 ice house breaks ice

By Sarah Lemagie, Star Tribune

A manufactured ice house is sticking out of the water at an angle after it broke through the ice on a lake 10 miles southeast of Long Prairie, Minn.

Owner Dan Fruechte of Swanville, Minn., said he put the ice house on Long Lake this week. Early Thursday, he and his son, Brad, 26, met at the house to fish for walleye after their evening-shift jobs. "The water started coming up on the ice, so we decided we better try and get it off, and it didn't happen," Dan Fruechte said. "She broke through."

Father and son made it to shore and called the Todd County Sheriff's Office.

The house was about 250 yards from shore on 7 or 8 inches of ice, Fruechte estimated -- about as thick as it's been when he's taken the house out in past years.

"The ice was too thin. They shouldn't have had it out there," said Bryan Tebben, chief deputy at the Sheriff's Office.

On Friday, Fruechte said the back 6 feet of the house was submerged, causing so much damage that it is probably totaled. The house, decked out with a flat-screen TV and stereo, is worth about $15,000, he said.

[shnelson]

Now that's off to a rough start.. +1 on hoping they have insurance on it!

[TDH]

I live in Swanville and I just seen this on the news today. I'm gunna go check it out tomorrow.

[germanshorthairs]

I know a guy that lives on the lake and he said those guys pulled that house out with a full size pickup. Some people just don't care. 7 inches of ice??? What were they thinking?? Maybe they would learn something if they did not have insurance. Plus, common sense peoples insurance rates could stay lower. The guy I know also said the house was tandem axle and big 20+footer

[Brad B]

I find it hard to believe insurance companies would insure these wheel houses since the danger of stuff like this happening. I know most insurance companies won't cover you if you drop your vechile throught the ice. Correct me if I'm wrong on this. I don't have this issue since I only use portables and will only drive my blazer out on the ice if there is 15" or more of ice. They should of used common sense but they didn't so now they will have to pay a big bill to get the house removed not to mention they may have to buy a whole new house.

[walleyeRyummy]

they will cover your vehicle or house damage....they just will not pay to extract your vehicle/house from the water

[Fish to Win]

Insurance does cover Stupidity

[TDH]

Here is a pic......

[fishroger]

Some insurers do cover vehicles going thru. I asked mine and they do. A friend broke thru several years ago and they paid everything, including winching it out. But some people are incredibly stupid just to get a few fish.

[Phred52]

Fish to win, Ya, Unfortunately, the "non-STUPID" ones (and anyone else that insures a vehicle) are the ones that foot the bill!! Because it doesn't 'shimmer', or because it isn't liquid anymore, it's "OKAY" to drive a 3500# vehicle with a 3000# fish house attached to it on ~10-12" of ice? Ice-up is like 'Dropping the green flag on Stupidity' I'm sorry! If someone's THAT STUPID and needs to be in THAT big of a hurry to get their 'castle' out , then nature SHOULD take its course! In most cases the insurance company will pay for the 1st retrieval of a vehicle. After that the owner is SOL. Maybe, those of us WITH common sense, should protest to our insurance companies that they SHOULDN'T pay to get equipment out. After a couple of YEARS the (remaining) stupid ones might figure out that it costs THEM BIG money to get their junk equipment out, they might be a little more cautious. Phred52

[Phred52]

HEY FISHROGER!!! Been a while! Still in Iowa? Or have you migrated north? Phred52

[hawkeye43]

I bet they will not put their house on 7" of ice again. The good side is now they know their house floats. Was this guy one that was asking how much ice it takes to get his house out??? I quess they know now.

[Bigtime22]

I know that this can happen at any time of the year, but when it is this early, I have absolutely zero pity.

[BlueLundFishrman]

Even with just liability insurance on a vehicle, they insurance would be on the hook for getting the vehicle out, as it would be a liability.

[RumRiverRat]

Even with just liability insurance on a vehicle, they insurance would be on the hook for getting the vehicle out, as it would be a liability.

Not really.

[zamboni]

Kinda makes my stomach turn a little bit. Yikes

[bikeoutback]

I called my insurance company last year and asked the lady about covering the car if it fell through the ice. She was in Texas and very very confused. I explained it to her about ice fishing and driving on the lakes, she couldn't tell me whether it was covered or not she simply said "I wouldn't do that if I were you" and was completely serious.

I called my new insurance company. Took them an hour to check with claims department but they did say that kind of loss would be covered. My agent actually said she gets that call alot more often then you would think but still had to check with claims, I must have been the first this year to call and ask.

[trapperdirk]

Well it is kind of hard to sympathize for a move that someone did that they should have known could bite them in the arse but they are icefishermen after all and any loss to a fellow angler I hate to see happen . Thank god it was only their house and not their lives were here discussing . 7 inches ,eh . YIKES

TD

[bturck]

The insurance company that I represented for 22 years before retiring does cover the vehicle going through the ice IF you have comp coverage. The loss is subject to your deductible. It also covers the extraction of the vehicle. In the case of a wheel house; we endorsed them to the auto policy just like a utility trailer as they are licensed by DMV. In the case of a skid house the coverage came from the homeowners policy under Coverage C, contents. Again subject to the homeowners deductible. Two years ago we paid 33,000 to total out and extract an 05 Z71 from Mille Lacs. As mentioned yes we do cover stupidity.

[Eelpout08]

I bet they will not put their house on 7" of ice again. The good side is now they know their house floats. Was this guy one that was asking how much ice it takes to get his house out??? I quess they know now.

Nope, not me! This guy didn't have to ask, he had it out on 7" plenty of times before it sounds like. gotta remember that just cause you get lucky once or twice doesn't mean your gonna get lucky everytime! That is too bad for him though. I think its safe to say most of us have made unwise decisions before, unfortunatly it takes something like that to get people to think a little more.

[deadeye]

Thats a bummer. Glad nobody got hurt.

To bad all the nice stuff they had is a loss but I bet they will think twice next time.

Its a shame that they couldn't wait another week till the ice was a bit thicker. Another few inches and I bet it would have been fine.

[Ringtailhunter]

I bet they will not put their house on 7" of ice again. The good side is now they know their house floats. Was this guy one that was asking how much ice it takes to get his house out??? I quess they know now.

Wasn't me either. I asked "how much is enough ice for you".

Mine is still sitting in my driveway. The bottle bass are always cold in the hole and I haven't had to throw one back yet.

[fishroger]

Hey Phred. Havent lived in Iowa for over 50 years. Im a true Minnesnowton. Must be another fishroger

[dougger222]

I know a guy who had his truck and enclosed trailer go into Prior Lake a few years ago just off shore in about 3-4ft of water. His insurance company paid for everything. In talking with him he said he came out pretty good on the deal. The truck was a couple year old fully loaded Super Duty diesel. The payout on the truck alone was over $30K and the truck sold at auction for $15K and the new owner only had to put $1K into it to get it road worthy. Of course it wasn't running when it went down.

The last three insurance carriers I've had pay for vehicles and equipment that go through the ice.

[buckx37x]

i have to agree no pity,its bad when you see something like that happen, but come on just plain stupid this early to have a house like that out.