The only thing predictable about this winter's ice? Its unpredictability
GRANTSBURG, Wis. – The high and low temperatures are leading to some really uneven and potentially dangerous ice on Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes.
Talk about a team effort. Karl Anderson Towing in Grantsburg, Wisconsin retrieved a pickup truck that sank last week to the bottom of Crooked Lake. No one was hurt, except maybe the owner's wallet. But the good news is that according to the Anderson team, this has been their only underwater truck rescue this season.
The others never made it past the landing.
"Actual recoveries have been fewer than normal because the ice has been so poor nobody's been on the ice," said Karl Anderson.
"We've had some that just break through partially, where the front end will fall through, and then we don't need to use we call it the FIRM…that stands for 'floatable ice recovery machine.' We don't need those when the vehicle partially falls through."
But trucks aren't the only mode of transportation, and they're also not the only casualties. Anderson's workload this season includes a John Deere ATV and several snowmobiles. They were also the team that rescued Wilson, the 1,200-pound runaway mustang that fell through Big Wood Lake. He's made a full recovery.
"The horse then the Deere, so we kind of joke that we had two," Karl Anderson said.
Other rescues this season include several hundred anglers floating away on Upper Red Lake in northern Minnesota. Again, no one was hurt.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommends at least 4 inches of ice to walk, and at least 5 inches for a snowmobile or an ATV. Up to a foot of ice can support a car, but an SUV needs more than that to support it.
Those guidelines, though, really only apply to newer, clear ice. When melting snow blends in to make a whiter-looking ice, air bubbles reduce its buoyancy, which means you should measure at least double the depth before venturing out.
The Anderson teams tell WCCO insurance companies generally consider an underwater vehicle a total loss. Sometimes the engine will start, but the water will destroy all of the electronics.
