A 6-year-old boy fell through the ice of a large snow-covered pond on private property in east-central Minnesota and drowned, officials said Tuesday.
The incident occurred early Sunday afternoon near McGrath in Pliny Township in Aitkin County, the Aitkin County Sheriff's Office said.
According to the Sheriff's Office:
A caller contacted law enforcement to report the boy in the water next to a dock on a pond in an area that is normally used as an ice skating rink but was covered with snow.
The boy was removed from the waist-deep water by a family member. He was not breathing.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started, and emergency responders arrived and took over lifesaving efforts.
"Approximately 14 inches of fresh snow compounded response problems," a Sheriff's Office statement read, "and a snowmobile was needed to transport the boy to an ambulance waiting on a navigable road."
The boy was taken from the private property just off County Road 2 to a hospital and died in the emergency room shortly after 4 p.m. His identity will be released once family notifications are complete.
