In Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota, an 80-year-old man lost his life when his truck broke through the ice on the lake.
The Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office confirmed receiving a 911 call shortly before 11 a.m. on Friday, January 12, 2024, reporting that a truck and a person had fallen through the ice.
A witness at the scene alerted emergency dispatch after discovering an area on the lake where the truck had fallen through.
The witness found Richard “Dickie” Gadbois’s body floating in the water supported by a flotation device and managed to get him back to shore. Despite lifesaving efforts, he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Gadbois, a resident of Isle, Minnesota, operated an ice fishing outfitter on Mille Lacs Lake and was checking ice conditions on the lake at the time of the accident.
A GoFundMe page set up to support his funeral and medical expenses described him as a “community staple” and “hometown hero” with a presence that enriched the lives of those who knew him.
This incident has prompted a warning from the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office about the dangers of operating on ice. They emphasized that the ice, which was only about 6 inches thick where Gadbois’s truck fell through, is currently unsafe for vehicles.
The office added that the recommended thickness for clear ice to support a truck should be between 13 and 17 inches.
Current conditions on many lakes across the state are compromised due to recent rains and warm temperatures, making the ice unreliable.
Mille Lacs Lake, located about 107 miles north of Minneapolis, is popular for fishing and other outdoor recreational activities.