Angler Saved By Law Enforcement After Falling Through The Ice On Big Lake

Law enforcement responded to two reports of people through the ice on Bemidji area lakes this afternoon.

The first call of a man through the ice on the south side of Big Lake, about 15 miles east of Bemidji, came in shortly before 1 PM.

First responders from Bemidji Fire, Cass Lake Fire and Rescue, Leech Lake Ambulance and the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Department were on the scene.

One first responder told Lakeland News that the call came in from dispatch said that the unidentified man was bringing a portable fish house, later identified as a sled, out on the ice when he fell through.

Law enforcement had to ride on the back of a truck through the deeply forested area on a muddy, dirt road to a unofficial landing area to get to the man.

Officials attempted to bring a portable float out to rescue the man but were unsuccessful in reaching him. A hovercraft was utilized in order to throw the person a flotation device. The man was then brought on board.

The second call of an ATV through Lake Kitchi, about four miles to the east, came in shortly after the rescue on Big Lake.

The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Department says that they were able to get two men out of the side-by-side ATV before it down in 20 feet of water. Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp tells Lakeland News that the vehicle will have to be recovered once the ice fully thaws.

The two incidents are heightening the importance of people staying off of the ice.

On Monday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Department also responded to a report of an ATV through the ice on Crane Lake, on the north side of Bemidji.

Law enforcement officials says that the two people involved were able to get to safety but did not let first responders know. The sheriff’s department spent a long time searching for the two people before they were notified that they were safe.

The incident happened around 4:30 PM.