Police have identified the man who drowned early Saturday morning when he fell through the ice on the St. Louis River near Cloquet.
Ryan William Hill, 34, of Scanlon died after officers and emergency workers tried to reach him as he struggled to hold onto a piece of ice in the frigid river.
Officers had finished responding to a call at a local bar about 1:30 a.m. when they heard someone shouting for help.
They used a boat, remotely operated vehicle, rope lines and throw rings, but couldn't get to him. He went under water 10 minutes later south of Hwy. 61 in Scanlon.
Hill's body was found about four hours later.
The case is still being investigated. Authorities don't know why Hill was on the ice.
He drowned in a section of the river that's about 8 feet deep, the Cloquet Police Department said, with areas of open water are nearby.
Erin Adler • 612-673-1781
