A Duluth man was rescued about a mile and a half off the shore of Rice Lake in St. Louis County on Sunday after his snowmobile crashed through a thin section of ice.

Michael Lindholm, 24, was able to jump off the vehicle before it fell into the lake and was unharmed, but unsafe ice conditions kept him from returning to shore, the St Louis County Sheriff's Office reported.

The Sheriff's Office and emergency responders used an airboat to rescue Lindholm, who was operating the snowmobile on a section of the lake where ice was less than an inch thick and some spots of open water were visible, the sheriff's report said.

Authorities reminded people to use extreme caution when venturing out on any ice, as most area lakes still have unsafe and unpredictable ice conditions due to recent warm weather.

The Rice Lake Fire Department assisted in the rescue.

STAFF REPORT