Voyageurs National Park staff urge visitors to stay off the ice this time of year, even when lakeshores and bays appear to be completely frozen over. Ice conditions are dangerous at this time; travelling across thin ice is extremely hazardous and creates unnecessary risk to individuals, and to rescue personnel. Falling through ice into freezing water can cause rapid and uncontrolled breathing, entrapment beneath the ice, shock, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, and other physical conditions that can lead to drowning. Death can occur within the first minutes of sudden immersion in freezing water. Though ice may appear safe and inviting, ice thickness and quality currently vary widely-sometimes even within the range of a single footstep. Be safe! Don’t go out on the ice this time of year.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
