Two senior citizens escaped the icy grips of Upper Red Lake, Minnesota, after their UTV broke through the frozen surface on Thursday. Both aged 67, the men clung to life thanks to buoyant ice suits – a lifeline in the treacherous waters that, witnesses said, helped keep them afloat until rescuers arrived. Aided by ropes thrown by quick-thinking bystanders, the pair were hauled back to the safety of dry land, according to FOX 9.
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The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office confirmed the rescue operation kicked off around 5 p.m. with a 911 call. Despite an order prohibiting vehicles on the lake being lifted just days earlier, this incident serves as a chilling reminder of nature's unpredictability. The sheriff's office underlined the dangers of the lake's deceptively inconsistent ice, saying that areas still pose a risk even in frigid temperatures. One of the men was treated at the scene and released, the other was transported to a hospital for further treatment, suffering from a broken hand and hypothermia.
Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs cautioned that "Always check with local experts such as guides, resorts and bait shops before going on the ice," further recommending checking ice thickness frequently and staying within regions that have been officially deemed safe, in a statement obtained by KARE 11.
With the mercury hovering near zero," both victims were treated for hypothermia and exposure to the cold weather at a staffed lodge where they were warmed with blankets and heaters, as per FOX9.
