ALLEGAN, Mich. — Deputies rescued a snowmobiler who broke through the ice on Miner Lake.
It happened Monday around 11:30 a.m. on Miner Lake
Allegan District Fire Chief Nick Brinks says Allegan County deputies arrived on the scene and were able to pull the driver back to shore.
A security camera at a nearby house captured the rescue.
The driver was taken to the hospital but is expected to be O.K.
The fire chief says the snowmobile is still in the water. Allegan police tagged the GPS location of the snowmobile for the DNR, who will work to fish it out of the lake in the spring.
Our Fox 17 meteorologists took a look at what kind of weight ice can potentially handle as the thickness grows through a winter season.
Ice is 2 inches or less it is not safe and you should not be going out on the lake, then starting at 4 inches or more ice fishing becomes an option. Always remember before heading out on any ice you have to check the color of the ice, any surrounding water, the temperature and the ice thickness. Ice thickness is rarely the same across any single body of water and according to the DNR needs to be checked at least every 150 feet.
The National Weather Service tracks the ice thickness of our Great Lakes but for inland lakes you want to plan ahead and bring a chisel, auger or drill to make a small hole in the ice which you can then measure the thickness with a tape measure. Even with all these ice techniques and safety tips there is still no ice that is 100 % safe.
