NORTHWEST ANGLE, Minn. — One person drowned on Thursday when a tracked vehicle broke through the ice near Flag Island on Lake of the Woods, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border.

According to a news release from the Lake of the Woods County Sheriff’s Office, the incident was reported shortly after 8 a.m. Authorities began an immediate search of the area, and the Cass County Lakes Area Dive Team based in Walker was called to assist.

Shortly after 3 p.m., the body of a male was recovered in about 10 feet of water, the sheriff’s office said.

The incident remains under investigation pending an autopsy, the sheriff’s office said, and the name of the victim will not be released until family members have been notified.

The drowning is the latest in a series of ice-related incidents that have occurred elsewhere in Minnesota in recent weeks, the result of widespread rain, wind and unseasonably warm weather. In a news release, the Minnesota DNR said conservation officers and county sheriff’s deputies across the state have responded to instances of fish houses and recreational vehicles falling through the ice.

While temperatures are forecast to drop, ice conditions will remain poor until there’s a string of cold days to form new, clear ice, the DNR said.

Related Articles

Wabasha County bookkeeper accused of embezzling $3.75M after falling victim to online romance scam

ATV breaks through Red Lake ice, riders make it to shore wet and cold

White Bear Lake police find person dead after responding to burglary, which resident fled

St. Paul man sentenced for crash that injured 2 young passengers in Dakota County

Intersection where St. Paul man and dog were killed had been made dark by copper wire thieves