Minnesota Sees Deadliest Winter In Years

Minnesota is on track to have one of its deadliest winters in years. Five people have died this season after falling through ice. The state typically averages three ice-related deaths over the course of the entire winter.

The 2015-2016 winter had zero ice-related deaths, while the 2016-2017 winter had two. The last time Minnesota saw ice-related deaths in the double digits was in the 2002-2003 winter, when the state had 10 fatalities.

The most recent death this year happened in northern Minnesota where a women drowned after riding an ATV on Rice Lake.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Hannah Mishler has already responded to multiple ice rescue calls. “Ice, especially snow covered ice, is extremely deceptive. You can’t see dangerous cracks or the thickness of the ice under the snow,” Mishler said in a statement.

Lisa Dugan, DNR recreation safety outreach coordinator, advises in addition to checking conditions locally and being prepared with an ice safety kit, anyone recreating on ice should be wearing a life jacket. "A life jacket is the one piece of equipment that increases your odds of not drowning from cold water shock, hypothermia or exhaustion should you fall through the ice," she said.

Ice safety guidelines

No ice can ever be considered “safe ice,” but following these guidelines from the DNR can help minimize the risk:

• Always wear a life jacket on the ice (except when in a vehicle).
• When a child is near the ice, an adult should be near the child.
• Caution children to stay off ponds, streams, and other bodies of water.
• A thin coating of ice on a pond or lake does not mean it is safe.

The minimum ice thickness guidelines for new, clear ice are:

• 4 inches for ice fishing or other activities on foot.
• 5-7 inches for a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle.
• 8-12 inches for a car or small pickup.
• 12-15 inches for a medium truck.
• Double these minimums for white or ice covered with heavy snow.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser