WALKER -- The Cass County Sheriff's Office responded to four incidents of vehicles going through thin ice during the weekend.
There were no serious injuries reported in the incidents, according to a release from the sheriff's office Monday. Sheriff Tom Bursch said minimal snow conditions have enabled motorists to travel freely on area waterways, which has led to finding thin ice in areas specifically near ice heaves, rivers and springs.
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According to the release, during years with normal snowfall, plowed roads on the ice help keep motorists away from vulnerable areas. Officials are urging strong caution be used on all area lakes. Although cold temperatures have helped ice conditions, the release said, ice can never be considered 100 percent safe.
Incidents on Gull and Cass Lakes
On Saturday, a full size Chevrolet pickup went through the ice in the Wilson Bay area on Gull Lake at 9:47 a.m. Occupants escaped the vehicle and it was removed from the lake. Later that afternoon, a full size GMC pickup went through the ice in the area of Hunter Point on Gull Lake at 1:30 p.m. Occupants of the vehicle got out of the vehicle onto the hood of the truck and eventually away from the vehicle which was later removed from the lake.
On Sunday, another vehicle went through the ice on Gull Lake and one went through on Cass Lake. At 1:30 a.m. a vehicle went through thin ice on the northwest side of Pike Bay near Cass Lake. Cass County Sheriff's Office deputies, Cass Lake Fire Department, Leech Lake Tribal Police, Leech Lake Tribal DNR and the Bemidji Fire Department responded to the scene where they found a partially submerged vehicle in shallow water and two people attempting to escape the vehicle. The occupants were able to get away from the vehicle and were treated and released by Leech Lake Ambulance. Arrangements are being made to remove the vehicle.
Later Sunday morning, a GMC SUV was spotted at 8:30 a.m. by a deputy patrolling the Gull Lake area. The vehicle had gone through thin ice around an ice heave near Sandy Point. Occupants were able to get away from the vehicle safely and the vehicle was later removed from the lake.
In recent weeks, on Leech Lake on Jan. 16.
