Officials warn of dangers on thinning ice

Updated: February 12, 2009 - 7:41 AM

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A car full of ice fisherman cruises through standing water on an otherwise frozen Medicine Lake in Plymouth. Warm temps and rain have created large ponds in some areas atop the lake's ice. Temps are expected to slowly fall through the week.

Photo: David Joles, Star Tribune

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It might look like a new extreme water sport — a car full of ice fishermen gliding across the ice on Medicine Lake kicking up a good spray.

But officials don’t think that thrill rides like this one Wednesday in Plymouth are challenges worth trying.

Hennepin County Sheriff’s officials say that in recent weeks, two dump trucks have fallen through ice and into lakes.

A 10,000-pound truck carrying 7,000 pounds of sand broke through Fish Lake in Maple Grove on Monday. The driver was underwater briefly but was not injured, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

A truck also fell through the ice on Lake Minnetonka in January.

The recent rain and warm weather have sped up the thawing of lake ice, and the Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to stay away from open water and thin ice. For an interactive primer on ice safety, go to startribune.com/newsgraphics.

--Lora Pabst