Not the Sunday morning ride he was planning. A side-by-side vehicle broke through the ice on Lake Le Homme Dieu on Sunday, sending the machine into the water in a channel near Tolena Point. The driver managed to scramble out and was not hurt. Deputies say the side-by-side was later pulled out with help from friends, and officials are again warning anyone headed onto area lakes to use extreme caution.
Douglas County Sheriff's deputies were called around 10:54 a.m. for a report of a vehicle in the water, according to Valley News Live. The driver told deputies he had been traveling through the channel when the front of the side-by-side dropped through near a pressure ridge. He climbed out of the machine, made it to safety, and later phoned a friend to help tow the vehicle from the lake.
The area where it happened has been posted with thin-ice signs, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources assisted at the scene, local reporting said. In a press release, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office stressed that “Ice is still unsafe in many areas” and urged anyone venturing onto frozen lakes to tell someone where they are going and to check ice conditions first, Echo Press reported.
How Dangerous Is the Ice?
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources notes there is no such thing as completely safe ice and publishes thickness guidelines, including a recommendation of generally 7 to 8 inches for a side-by-side or UTV. The agency also offers practical tips like carrying ice picks, checking thickness as you go, wearing flotation when traveling on foot, and always letting someone know your plans, according to the state's ice-safety guidance at Minnesota DNR.
Other Close Calls This Winter
This winter has already produced several close calls on west-central Minnesota lakes. Douglas County crews recently pulled off a rescue on nearby Lake Ida after a man and his 4-year-old daughter went into the water when their side-by-side went through the ice, highlighting how quickly conditions can change, Bring Me The News reported.
Douglas County authorities and the DNR continue to warn that ice conditions can shift fast and say people should avoid channels, narrows, and pressure ridges where open water may be hidden. For the initial reporting on the Lake Le Homme Dieu incident, see Valley News Live.
