STEARNS COUNTY, Minn. — As temperatures take a dive, eager Minnesotans are heading to nearby lakes to enjoy ice hockey, skating and fishing.
“With restrictions in place, we are seeing a lot of people that are going out enjoying outdoor activities,” says Sgt. Adam Hoffman with the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials are asking people heading onto the ice to take precautions though, after responding to at least five incidents of people falling through thin ice over the weekend.
“With the up and down temperatures, our ice has been in variable conditions,” says Sgt. Hoffman.
In Stearns County Saturday, Sgt. Hoffman says an ATV with two people fell into Two Rivers Lake in Holding Township.
“Broke through a section of thin ice on the north side of the lake and everyone was able to escape from the ATV,” he says.
There were at least three other incidents of people falling through the ice, including most recently in Todd County, where officials say an ATV and trailer went through ice on a lake near Battle Point.
“The cooler temps that we had around Christmas, we had a thin layer form up there but not really safe for ATV’s,” says Sgt. Hoffman.
And state officials are urging people to practice safety.
“I think the biggest thing people make a mistake on is getting too eager to go out there and catch a couple of fish, and they get out there when the ice is one or two inches, and that’s when people get in trouble and fall through or bring out vehicles too early,” Garrett Thomas, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said in an ice safety video posted on YouTube.
The most important thing, says Sgt. Hoffman, is to make sure you're familiar with the lakes and the rivers you're out on this winter.
For a full list of ice safety measures, visit the link here.