Rescue from icy lake a reminder of how unsafe freshly frozen ice can be

There was a dramatic rescue over the weekend in an icy lake near Park Rapids. Three, without life jackets, rescued as a hover craft sinks. A reminder how unsafe the freshly frozen ice is.

DOUG LEIERND Game and Fish: “Now you look at it and you see white there might be kids sledding and not realize you go down that depression might be a landing but blanket conceals danger it is very concerning it is.”

And with the holiday week here and kids out of school authorities have a warning, the last thing they want to be doing is diving and searching for a child beneath the ice.

DUWAYNE NITSCHKECass Co. Deputy: “Parents need to sit down and tell them stay away from here there is no reason to be down here at all.”

Cass County Deputy Duane Nitschke says the snow on top of this ice is misleading, especially to children. It takes several days of cold temperatures to get so called good ice. This insulating snow changes not only the speed of ice formation, but its quality.

The Minnesota D-N-R says ice should be at least four inches thick before anyone thinks about walking on it.

Tags: reporter stories, park rapids, kevin wallevand, safety, ice, minnesota, lakes