(1-23-24) On Saturday afternoon, Natural Resources Officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) responded to a report of a snow mobile going through ice near Turkey Foot Island at Indian Lake State Park.

One person was rescued from the ice and transported to Bellefontaine’s Mary Rutan Hospital for further evaluation.

Ice Thickness Guidelines on ODNR’s website  https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/recreational-safety/ice-thickness-guidelines

Know the Minimums

  • 4″ of new clear ice is the minimum thickness for travel on foot. 
  • 5″ is minimum for snowmobiles and ATVs. 
  • 8″- 12″ for cars or small trucks. 

General Ice Safety Tips

  • Check for known thin ice areas with a local resort or bait shop. Test the thickness yourself using an ice chisel, ice auger or even a cordless 1/4 inch drill with a long bit. 
  • Refrain from driving on ice whenever possible. If you must drive a vehicle, be prepared to leave it in a hurry: keep windows down, unbuckle your seat belt and have a simple emergency plan of action you have discussed with your passengers. 
  • Stay away from alcoholic beverages. Even “just a couple of beers” are enough to cause a careless error in judgement that could cost you your life. And contrary to common belief, alcohol actually makes you colder rather than warming you up. 
  • Don’t “overdrive” your snowmobile’s headlight. At even 30 miles per hour, it can take a much longer distance to stop on ice than your headlight shines. Many fatal snowmobile through-the-ice accidents occur because the machine was travelling too fast for the operator to stop when the headlamp illuminated the hole in the ice. 
  • Wear a life vest under your winter gear, or wear one of the new flotation snowmobile suits. And it’s a good idea to carry a pair of ice picks that may be home made or purchased from most well stocked sporting goods stores that cater to winter anglers. It’s amazing how difficult it can be to pull yourself back onto the surface of unbroken but wet and slippery ice while wearing a snowmobile suit weighted down with 60 lbs of water. The ice picks really help pulling yourself back onto solid ice. CAUTION: Do NOT wear a flotation device when travelling across the ice in an enclosed vehicle! 

ODNR reminds people to be cautious around frozen bodies of water and to remember that no ice is 100% safe.