2 Snowmobile Riders Die; Fall Through Thin Ice: Report

ONEIDA COUNTY, WI — Unseasonably warm temperatures have thinned the ice on area lakes, streams and rivers, causing a tragic accident in northern Wisconsin over the weekend.

According to the Oneida County Sheriff's office, authorities received a report that three snowmobiles and their riders broke through the ice at Lake Nokomis at about 3 a.m. Sunday.

Sheriff's officials say one of the riders managed to get out and call 911. By the time authorities arrived, the other two riders who fell into the lake died.

"I woke up suddenly and I could hear somebody yelling, 'Help, help, help me.' I called 911 and told them where I was and I said, 'Somebody's out there yelling for help,'" neighbor Julie Beeney said in a WSAW report.

Authorities said above-normal temperatures and wet weather in recent weeks caused ice conditions to deteriorate - even in northern Wisconsin where winter weather has hit the hardest in the state over the season's typically coldest months.

Authorities issued warnings about thin ice in the region. The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of family members, authorities said.