But even in the middle of the recent polar vortex, a Lino Lakes police officer discovered that some ice was not frozen solid.
“One of our officers was recently patrolling through the park here and just came across a vehicle that had gone partially into the ice,” said Lino Lakes police officer Dan Thill. ” He made sure the driver was okay and ordered a tow.”
That officer was Kenny Sinna, who remembered that another vehicle went into Centerville Lake a few weeks earlier. So he sprang into action and put up thin ice signs.
“I think he sort of ran into a situation where multiple agencies were thinking, or expecting that others were gonna take care of it,” Thill said. “So he just went the extra mile, got some cones from our public works department, got some signs from another department and then went out and put these things out himself. Vehicles were clearly missing the fact that they should be following this road here and not driving straight out to where they want to be, which is where the thin ice is.”
Ice advice
Now with spring coming, it’s paramount that people use caution if they’re going on a frozen lake.
“There’s never safe ice,” Thill said.
There are basic guidelines everyone should adhere to.
“Follow the road that has been clearly established,” Thill said. “If people are out on the ice and there’s a road here, than obviously that part of the lake is safe at the moment. Don’t try and blaze your own trail.”
The Minnesota DNR’s ice advice varies. The minimum thickness guidelines for going onto a frozen lake are 4 inches for walking, 5-7 for a snowmobile, 8-12 for a car and 12-15 for a truck.
If you’re going to bring a vehicle on the ice, Thill recommends checking things out on foot before you do.
“You’re obviously much better off with just you than your several thousand pound car or truck,” Thill said. “We want to make sure that people are enjoying the lake but doing it as safe as they can be. That’s going to involve making sure you have the right equipment. If you need to to walk out there versus using your car, check with other folks. Research it ahead of time.”
If the worst-case scenario happens, and your car or truck goes in the icy water, the cost for getting it out is approximately $10,000.
Minnesota law mandates that permanent ice houses be taken off lakes in the southern two-thirds of the state by 11:59 p.m. on March 3, and in the north on March 17.
