Two dozen vehicle and fishehouses go thru...

[Lunker]

be smart boys, but have fun

[ackotz]

Two dead after crashing through ice;
authorities urge caution
(Doug Smith
Star Tribune)

Published Dec. 24, 2002

The bodies of two men whose vehicle fell through lake ice on Farm Island Lake into 27 feet of water were recovered Monday in Aitkin County.

The men were identified Tuesday as Roger Pederson, 49, and Richard Anderson, 37, who lived on the northern edge of the lake, authorities said.

Ice on Farm Island Lake varied from 14 inches thick to just 2 inches, said Tim Smalley, boat and water specialist at the state Department of Natural Resources. The men, apparently drowned Friday night. Divers found one man inside the vehicle and the other outside of it, Sheriff Dennis Landborg said.

Around Minnesota last week nearly two dozen vehicles or fish houses fell through thin ice despite repeated warnings of danger, Smalley said.

"There's some really, really spooky ice conditions out there," he said. "And we've had some really close calls. We've had ATVs dropping through the ice like crazy. I'd say if you're thinking of driving on the ice, don't."

The incidents have occurred from the far north to the southern part of the state. The recent warm spell weakened ice in many areas, Smalley said.

But he also said the spate of people and vehicles falling through shows that ice thickness can vary dramatically on a given lake.
The sport-utility vehicle of the men who died at Farm Island Lake went through on a pressure ridge on the southeast part of the lake, which is about 6 miles south of Aitkin in east-central Minnesota.

Two other men fell through ice on Lake Yankton near Marshall in southwestern Minnesota on Sunday night and were flown to hospitals in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Craig A. Bakke of Marshall was listed in fair condition Monday; the family of
John J. VanOverbeke of Minneota declined to comment on his condition.

Another angler crashed his vehicle through the ice of Lake Lida in Otter Tail County on Sunday, according to DNR conservation officer reports. He and a companion and a dog escaped unharmed, but the vehicle sank. Officers said the man told them there was 14 inches of ice where his fish house was located.

Other incidents were reported near Baudette, Moorhead, Glenwood, Nisswa, Brainerd, Cambridge, Center City, Waseca and St. Peter.

-- Doug Smith is at [email protected].

This story includes material from the Associated Press.

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 12-24-2002).]

[GullGuide]

When will people ever learn that pressure ridges equal disaster. Almost all of drop-ins on lakes occur near them.
Drive slow, be safe and STAY AWAY FROM THE RIDGES!!

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>"////=<
Gull Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/gullguide
Brainerd-Mille Lacs-Willmar
Bemidji-Ottertail

[Guest]

Springs and current spell disaster also.

The ice may look as good by these areas,but the ice may be thin as 1-2 inches.

A lake I fish is that way, it has a channel,(dosent look like one though) running through it. It has 14 inches on either side,and about 6 inches above the channel.

Be carefull !!
Be carefull !!
Be carefull !!

[ackotz]

Be careful out there this weekend...things aren't all that much better than last week.

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 12-28-2002).]

[ackotz]

This from yesterdays Star Tribune. Let's not repeat last week's fatal results!

"Minnesotans warned to stay off thin ice"
(Associated Press)

Published Dec. 27, 2002

A state safety official warned Minnesotans on Thursday to keep vehicles off lake ice in
most of the state, a day after a man died when his all-terrain vehicle plunged through
thin ice in Jackson County.

At least 40 cars, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and other vehicles - as well as a
number of fish houses - have gone under this week in incidents reported as far north as
Baudette, near the Canadian border, said Tim Smalley, a safety specialist with the state
Department of Natural Resources.

``That's real far north,'' Smalley said. ``North doesn't necessarily mean safe for ice.''

Smalley said that drivers should check conditions carefully before taking vehicles on the
ice. Local sources such as bait shops and resorts usually have the latest reports.

The DNR recommends a minimum ice thickness of five inches to support a snowmobile,
eight to 12 inches for a car and 12 to 15 for a truck. The recommended thickness to
support a person is four inches.

Delbert Hurley, 63, went through the ice Wednesday on Round Lake while driving an ATV.

Hurley's death was the sixth in the state this winter - one more than last year - with
four months to go before spring, Smalley said.

Last Friday, two Aitkin-area men died when their truck fell through ice on Farm Island
Lake in east-central Minnesota.

The warnings to stay off the ice come as dry trails and poor snow cover make frozen
lakes more tempting for some, Smalley said.

``There isn't much snow out there for people to ride snowmobiles and ATVs, so a lake is
one place to go,'' Smalley said. ``It's nice and smooth and you can have fun - but you
can also get killed.''

[jigglestick]

just for reference, two lakes just north of grand rapids that i fish are firming up real nice. one is a smaller lake that i have a dark house on i havn't chipped the hole open since last sunday... 3 inches of ice in the hole! another lake where i walleye fish close to home, has 16 inches on the average. there is no such thing as safe ice. so be careful out there.

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keep your stick on the ice!---jigglestick---