E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSHANOVER, Minn. -- Divers recovered the bodies of two men Sunday whose snowmobile sank after hitting open water on a lake near the Twin Cities, the first thin-ice related deaths reported in Minnesota in a mild winter that has left ice unreliable across the state.
Dozens of people have fallen into frigid waters around Minnesota this winter as unseasonably warm temperatures have weakened ice and in some cases left patches of open water such as those on Lake Charlotte northwest of Minneapolis.
"It was a single snowmobile and it appears to have just run right into open water," said Captain Greg Howell of the Wright County Sheriff's Office. "It's been a bad year for ice."
Local NBC station KARE 11 reported that the two young men were graduates of the Rockford High School, according to its principal, Ryan Jensen.
Jensen named the victims as 2009 graduate Brad Skafte, 20, and 2010 graduate Adam Patnode, 19, KARE 11 said.
The station reported that divers found their bodies around 8 a.m. (9 a.m. ET) Sunday using sonar equipment.
"It's hard to take in," said Nathan Bigley, a friend of the two young men, according to KARE 11. "It still really hasn't hit me hard. But they were both really good guys. Everyone loved them in the community."
Dan Harberts, whose son was also good friends with the two victims, told the station that "they always seemed to be bored."
"Sitting around was never good enough for them," Harberts said. "They're way too young for something like this to happen."
Tail lights vanished
A 66-year-old man from Buffalo, Minnesota, riding an all-terrain vehicle, had reported seeing a snowmobile drop into the lake on Saturday night. He went to investigate and was rescued by a neighbor when his ATV also sank into the water, Howell said.
"It's fortunate we weren't looking for three instead of two," Howell said.
The man, Gail King, told the Star Tribune that he had heard a cracking noise and then the tail lights of the snowmobile vanish into the water.
He did not hear any shouts for help, the Tribune reported.
Searchers found snowmobile tracks leading straight to an area of open water on the lake and family members reported two men missing who were thought to have been snowmobiling on the lake Saturday night, Howell said.
Divers located the snowmobile but have not yet pulled it from the lake, Howell said.
The ice depth ranges from an inch to 12 inches on lakes in the county with open water in some spots, Howell said.
Across Minnesota people have reported falling through the ice this winter on-foot, in cars, riding ATVs and snowmobiles, and even in an ice boat, which has steel runners and a sail, officials have said.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Huntsman to drop out of GOP race
- New round of snow likely for Midwest, Northeast
- Trend against outsourcing brings jobs back from China
- 45 years later, a special ring finds its way home
Reuters contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Stay off of the ice in mild winters.
Bad year for ice? try bad year for nuckleheads that go snowmobiling at night on a half frozen lake
The problem is snowmobiling at night. It's incredibly dangerous even in the best of conditions. I live in northern MN and the lakes are safely frozen over. However, on many of the lakes there are HUGE ice ridges from shifting ice. It's pretty hard to see these at night when driving 60+ MPH. I've seen idiots pushing 100 MPH around here.
From the article and the comments...seems like these guys would run a snowmobile during the summer on any body of water as long as it was dark. Add alcohol to the mix...hope they can breathe under water.
You would think that people that spend so much time on the ice in winter would know better.
I agree, you need to be aware that ice may be thinner due to warmer temperatures this winter. It is stupid to go out on ice on anything right now, especially at night, when you cannot see whether there is ice or open water ahead.
As a former Minnesotan, I can't believe these two boys didn't know the ice was too thin to support a snowmobile with 2 people on it!!! They grew up in Minnesota and should have known better. What a loss for the family and community. God rest their souls.
These two boys were pushing the limits I can see it now, oh that was fun lets do it again..
figure of speech: They new they were skating on thin ice.
My condolences to the families and friends.
Seems like we humans have this built in thing that tells us that we can do stupid things and , somehow, things will work out okay. What a tragedy.
Completely agree. I've lived in Minnesota most of my life. Ice danger is one of the first things taught to us Northerner's. Snowmobiling at night is incredibly dangerous even in the best of conditions. There are dozens of deaths every year around here. I personally know 3 people that have died and 2 that suffered severe brain injury due to snowmobiling. (All of these people hit trees)
looks like suicide by snowmobile, well does'nt it?
The lake has thin ice postings at the edge. They either did not see the posted warnings or chose to ignore it.
Why do people still deny climate change? The evidence is overwhelming this winter!
yep,
right in the middle of winter, and the temp is in the 70's again in texas today
Last year when we were butt deep in snow you cried climate change because of all the snow- this year is mild so you cry climate change because of a lack of snow- Climate changes all the time- Last year it was cold and snowy-this year possibly milder- GW/CC is irrelevant and there is no scientific proof to back it up- The climate changes all the time and there is nothing man can do to stop it. History shows us that.
kelldon, there is plenty of scientific research to back up climate change; that you choose not to believe it will not make it go away. "Global Warming"/climate change brings seemingly random extremes in all seasons and in both directions.
And just as much research is available to discredit climate change/global warming- And at least that research has not been proven to have been faked by researchers to perpetuate grants. There is so much that the reseascrh can't explain or does not take into account that you can not over look it and just close your eyes to simple facts - No matter what any one says- if its hot or if its cold or if its rainy or dry you say its global warming. The pro GW crowd has set the field for a perpetual cash machine and that is all it boils down to.
And last winter we had record snowfall...Thats right they were claiming the record snowfall was due to climate change then too...Exactly when since the beginning of this planet has there not been some type of climate change, Be it gradual or drastic, It has been going on since day one.
Does that mean that I believe we can pollute our air and water and that we should not conserve energy and do what we can to minimalize our impact on our environment. NO, I think we should do all these things when possible, I do not however believe we should allow Climate change to become a money making industry for individuals to enrich themselves by forced means over the rest of us.
don't get hung up with whose right or wrong.. all the air, light, ground,water, and sound pollution is an infringement upon our mother earth and each of our futures for healthy lives,,,, we need to practice a little common sense with our excessive waste in all areas... who cares whether this or that is an actually cause of the weather... we are wasteful and polluting like crazy and it should stop...period
HOw about come up to Alaska, not evident to us.
All the tree huggers can stop with the global warming because it has been happening for thousands of years. When it get a little colder than normal all you people say it's climate change. There is this thing called la nino and el nino and we are in a la nino pattern so the jet stream is puched further north resulting in less snow and more warm weather. Look at Alaska, those people up there can barely get fuel because the ice is 25 feet thick on salt wanter.
kelldon,
RE: your post #3.4
Sorry to have to break this bad news to you kelldon, but OVER 90% of the responsible and authoritative scientists in the world agree that climate change is the "real deal" and that it is having an adverse effect on planet Earth. So if you think that the 10% who deny FACTS, RESEARCH, and LOGIC are correct, that's fine with me. However, it still is NOT the TRUTH! If you look at the facts, of the 10% of scientists who disagree, many of those scientists are employed by big oil corporations and other industries and organizations that stand to to lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
I remember back in the 50's there were extreme differences in temperatures from year to year in the northeast. I can remember winters when we had 3 to 4 feet of snow and winters when we wore teeshirts because it was so warm out.
All of you "climate changers" should, at least, keep up to date. September, 2010, the White House announced that the new name would be, "Global Climate Disruption".
Scram- I don't know how old you are but in the late 70s early eighties the same Scientists" that you speak of were warning us of global cooling and that if we did not do anything that we were headed for another Ice Age- They wanted to sprinkle black ash on the polar caps to absorb heat and warm up the earth. So what you are saying is that only the 90% who argue for CG are the reputable scientists and who have ties to grants and research in favor of GW and everyone who disagrees is not reputable- is that how it works? What make the 10% disreputable? Can you pproduce any e-mails that say that they cooked the books and falsified information to make it work out to their advantage- If so can you show me them- I think we can all produce the Pro GW falsified documentation. So who should you believe- out and out liars that are part of the 90%(so you say) or the 10%
Climate change? What a joke.
In reality, the climate changes constantly and it is the height of stupidity to try and stop it from happening. You can no more control the climate than the tides, orbit of the planet or sun spots.
Using it as an excuse to force your socialist or marxist ideas onto society is another thing. If their was any proof whatsoever of "man caused climate change", the socialists from England would have allowed peer review of their primary source material and data and yet they refused and destroyed evidence. They admit the lied and refused to provide information in their email.
You do not have to lie if you are right,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you lie because you have an agenda.
Thanks for playing.
Bottom line is, you can't compare one winter to the next and use it for any credible conclusions on climate change. Climate change is measured over decades and centuries (and in fractions of degrees), not from one year to the next. Variation from year to year is completely normal. Even if there were severe global warming, there would still be some cold winters due to normal fluctuations in weather patterns.
Nobody is denying climate change. People deny MAN-MADE climate change
From Wiki regarding Katrina and climate change: "It is possible that anthropogenic global warming may have enhanced it somewhat, but there is no way to make this determination. Whether it did or did not, New Orleans should have been prepared for a hurricane of this magnitude (it was only a category 3 when it made landfall) and the government response was lacking".
Even with a massive storm the experts say ...It is "possible"... not absolute. A mild winter is perfectly normal.
The problem is that mankind is more obsessed with greed then need, building greedy empires then building strong societies, so the desire to make profit often trumps doing things that need to get done.
Yes...Life was so much simpler when we lived in caves, walked instead of having any mode of transportation and foraged for our food on a daily basis instead, The discovery of the use of fire was the stepping stone to Global warming...I mean climate change
Greed is what built this country and most all civilized countries on this planet...that is the plain unvarnished simple truth.
Wiki is not a source that I would deem as entirely accurate and credible
Lots of things "remain possible" in science. Just as evolution as the origin of man REMAINS A THEORY (it is not scientific fact).
I whole heartedly agree Lost. Wikipedia is like the tabloids to an autobiography. "Boy born with two heads and 6 arms devours entire town!"
Try using a credible source, and people will think you are credible. Imagine that.
The Earth is doing what Earth does, its changing. For the better? probably not. For the worse? who is to say?
When Wikipedia has something in it that people don't want to accept the say "it's not reliable"... right.
Well considered any one can and will write whatever they want in wikipedia, it is not reliable. I can go in to any article and delete a pertinent paragraph and put in a bunch of mumbo jumbo that sounds good. In my four years of college, any time I used anything from wikipedia, I had to include up to 5 other resources that confirmed what the wiki article said.
So no, its not that I don't or can't accept what it says because it goes against what I think, its the fact that it is crap. Plain and simple.
No you can't just go into any article and start replacing. I believe it did start that way, but then the religious nut nuts started replacing text with their bs. Try replacing sections on evolution or global warming. Go ahead I'll me know if you can.
Yep, that is why the Coast Guard has an ice breaker making a path for a tanker to deliver fuel in Sarah's back yard. And mild winters do happen, once in awhile. I guess global warming never hit that place up north that already has received 26 feet of snow.
Really, really stupid people ride snowmobiles on ice.
It’s called being young and thinking that your invincible, probably something that most of us have experienced one time or another. Death is always just a breath away, that is why we all should live life as if today was our last day, because someday it will be.
When I was a kid in Buffalo, we used to have a road that took a shortcut accross the lake during the winter. people would put ice houses out like a litle town on the lake. We used trucks to tow them out, nevermind the snowmobiles. The only stories we ever heard of people falling through the ice came from springtime.
Climate change has existed before mankind, the problem comes when mankind tries to make it into a money making scam. Common sense tells you that we should recycle, develop clean energy, limit population growth and live with the environment instead of against it. The problem is that greed and common sense are often at odds with one another.
Just wondering how you would go about limiting population growth...Who gets to say who is allowed to have children and how many.
Whats next...when you reach a certain age you are euthanized
It would take developing societies of educated people who live together in harmony to make a better world. Unfortunately that’s not likely to happen in any of our lifetimes if ever, nature though as shown in the past will limit populations if mankind doesn’t.
"Just wondering how you would go about limiting population growth...Who gets to say who is allowed to have children and how many."
When it becomes too expensive to live, the problem will take care of itself.
I have personally limited population growth by not having any children of my own and being satisfied with taking care of children that were already in the world.
As long as we have Welfare systems that reward those who have children yet do not work the problem you speak of will continue.
We have a dilema, Do we care for the children and not require anything of those parents or do we cut off payments and deprive the children...You chose
You see that doesn't happen anymore Lostinthepinebarrens. I've worked in the human services department for years. People can't get a free ride like they used to. If they aren't working and do get cash assistance, they have to apply for forty jobs a week and bring proof from all of the places they applied. Also, if they get on cash assistance with two children, if they give birth to a third it doesn't increase that amount. Also, over their lifetime they can only receive it for four years total. The only way public welfare allows people to increase their intake is through the food assitance program which will increase if you have more children and it's also more difficult now to sell that food assistance for cash. I work in that department and ninty percent of the people on food assistance have full time jobs but minimum wage isn't a living wage. As long as minimum wage isn't a living wage we will continue to have this problem.
WHAT do these postings have to do with the tragedy of two people drowning in frigid water.
doesn't anybody know how to stay on the subject of the post?
next thing we will read is that IT'S OBAMAS' FAULT.
how 'bout a little respect for the dead? condolences to the families..rip
Having lived in Alaska for 6 years, I know first hand the dangers of driving on ice covered lakes. It is common practice there to plow temporary roads across lakes for short cuts. But in a warmer than usual winter a common sense approach needs to be taken. It is a shame to read about this kind of a tragedy and my condolences to the families. But perhaps this will make others stop and think about what they are doing before they put themselves and others at risk. Driving on ice covered lakes in warmer than usual weather not only puts you at risk but the lives of would be rescuers as well.
Darwin...
niwraD
They may have been trying a water crossing which is possible on a snowmobile.
My chucklehead brother does it on Lake Winnipesaukee NH all the time.
Trouble is if the drivebelt breaks or you tip down you go with 100 lbs.of wet winter clothing
Its so sad when things like this happen folks and I am not sure this is the place to debate global warming or climate change. My thoughts and prayers go out to friends and family.
Finally a voice of reason. 2 young men died and all these people can b!tch about is the climate change & global warming. could'nt agree with you more North Dakota!
I am from MN and every day news reports are telling people to stay off the lakes... repeat - every day local officials, news reporters and common sense says Stay Off the Lakes. We've yet to have a sub zero day this winter and have virtually no snow on the ground - good indications lake ice can not support much weight.
It's so sad when people decide to ignore the warnings, have a preventable accident and to make matters worse, good Samaritans try to save them almost die in the process. I feel terrible for the families and their friends... maybe now people will begin to understand the reports saying ice will not support any weight much more than the thin layer of ice itself. This isn't the first time someone has gone through the ice this year, only the first time they died in the process.
Two young lives wasted over a damn snowmobile ride... what a shame.
This story breaks my heart. I am sad for the families and friends of these kids. But I question someone 66 who no longer sees the taillights jumps on his ATV and goes out on the ice to try to save them. Seriously?
Yes seriously I would have done the same thing but I guess that is also the problem with people today no sence of humanity screw em let em drown I need coffee
I saw a couple of key words in this article..snowmobile and all-TERRAIN vehicle. I don't believe either of those vehicles was intentionally designed to go out on a lake...frozen or not....boats and jetskis are for LAKES...
Still, condolences to the families...sad to hear all the same.
Good point. In a warmer than normal winter, maybe an airboat is the appropriate vehicle when you just have to go on the lake. Just stay in the boat to ice fish.
Yea, climate change !!! Its everyone's fault for burning fossil fuels and driving around cars for the last 100 years. That's why the dinosaurs went extinct, they drove their cars and trucks all over, poluted by burning all kninds of fuels. Hey morons, "climate change" has been occuring since this planet was formed. The Sahara desert has sea shell fossils in it, the Himilaya mountains have sea fossils found @ 20,000 feet. Dont you realize our time on this planet is just a second hand click of the clock of this planet.
Condolences to the friends and family.
Bill Sorento,
Glad to see that you have taken the time to educate yourself on fossil records and the findings of scientists regarding the ebb and flow of ancient seas and oceans. Sounds to me as though you take interest in scientific fact.
A few facts to consider:
There are 7 billion people on the planet. There are 30 years of seconds in a billion.
A conservative estimate of bpd (barrels of oil per day being pumped globally) is 84 million. 84 million x 365(days in a year) and we are over 30 BILLION barrels per year. That figure does not take into account any growth in consumption, I'm sure you're aware of the uptick in population therefore consumption in China and India.
Back to the 30 years of seconds in a billion......If you could count a barrel per second it would take 900 years to count each barrel that will be consumed this year. Multiply that times 42 gallons (amount of oil in a barrel) and it is very difficult to reconcile that there are no adverse effects to the world we live in.
You're certainly right in the fact that the dinosaurs died off without any use of carbon consumption. Why are we all so in denial regarding the consequences of our actions? There is plenty of science out there that supports global warming. If you can reconcile the facts fair enough. However, can you honestly say that you feel there is no negative consequences for consuming the amount of oil that we do?
BC
It's George Bush's fault.
I think anyone that post "It's xxxx fault" should be banned. This is getting so old. Not funny anymore.
Can't be Georges fault. Obama has been in office over three years. He is to blame.
Every few years, morons like this fall through thin ice, run under a barbed wire fence, and do a host of other stupid things with their snowmobiles and ATV's. It's duly reported by the news media.
You just can't fix stupid.
I hate to ask, but do you reckon alcohol was involved? I'd bet on it.
We were all invincible when we were young.
Condolances to the families.
I agree with BARRY If GB had not owned (part owned?) the Dallas Cowboys and had a big income from Texas oil then all this would never have happened..................................DUH!!! Or maybe it was President Carter because his peanut crop was so successful!!! Everyone knows that peanuts give lots of people gas and that methane is bad for the atmosphere, so there ya go, take your pick. By the way, I have seem atv's that would float, I've NEVER seen a snowmobile that would float. Maybe Darwin had something! Ron White says "ya can't fix stupid".
Dubya owned part of the Texas Rangers; try to get your facts straight.
Rudy, you are dumbsh!t stupid altogether!
Wow, another pair of Darwin Award recipients...seriously, this is natural selection at work. Clearly these two idiots were pretty stupid to be out there when I'm sure they knew the ice was bad. I'd guess that autopsies will find that they were drunk as well.
This is a tragic story about two young men that made one mistake in judgement that cost them their lives and leaves two families mourning the loss of their sons.
In Minnesota and other states where recreation and outdoor sports are commonplace on the frozen lakes each winter, someone loses their life almost every year to an accident like this one. Ice depths vary greatly on spring fed lakes, and I see people take chances like this everyday because they find the ice safe in one area and don't realize other areas have thin ice or no ice.
If you need to post arguments about Global Warming, find a more appropriate forum. The untimely deaths of these young men have nothing to do with it.
My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones in such a preventable accident.
every year this stuff happens... snowmobiles, atv's even cars drop thru the ice. no metter how much effort the authorities put into warning about thin ice. seems like there are always super men out there.
yeah blame their stupidity on the weather..
Growing up in Northern lower Michigan I can say that this happened a few times a year and not once were we surprised when we found out who perished due to stupidity. There is a real IQ issue at play here and its popular to deny the reality of this.