BELTRAMI COUNTY, Minn. — Bystanders helped rescue two fishermen who went through the ice Thursday evening on Upper Red Lake.
According to the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, the two men were on a UTV when it broke through the ice and into the water. Both men were wearing buoyant ice suits that helped keep them afloat, allowing people nearby to use a rope to pull them to shore.
Emergency responders met with the two men, both 67, at a staffed lodge on the southeastern shore of the lake. They were both treated for hypothermia and cold weather exposure as officials say the air temperature was near 0 degrees. One of the men was treated on scene and released, while the other was transported to Sanford Medical Center in Bemidji with a broken hand, hypothermia and cold weather exposure.
Several rescues have occurred on Upper Red Lake this winter, prompting officials to put a vehicle restriction on the lake. While the vehicle restriction was lifted earlier this week, Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs says the ice remains inconsistent in some areas.
"Always check with local experts such as guides, resorts and bait shops before going on the ice," said Riggs in a press release. "Check ice thickness frequently. It is recommended to remain in areas that have been checked."
Officials are also warning about open water after a teen snowmobiler fell into Little Rock Lake in Watab Township Friday morning.
"Even with the drop in temperatures over the last several days, thin ice and open water exists on significant portions of Little Rock Lake and other area lakes," the Benton County Sheriff's Office posted on social media. "Anyone venturing onto the ice should exercise extreme caution, use appropriate tools to test ice thickness, and have handy self-rescue or flotation devices."
According to officials with the Benton County Sheriff's Office, the teen was able to pull himself from the water and walked to a nearby fish house near the St. Regis landing on the lake. Authorities say the teen was treated for hypothermia and then transported to a hospital in St. Cloud for further evaluation.
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