Boy Safe After Snowmobile Goes Into Little Rock Lake

RICE (WJON News) -- A teenager from Rice is lucky to be alive after his snowmobile went into open water on Little Rock Lake.

The Benton County Sheriff's Office says a caller from shore reported seeing the machine go down at around 11:30 Friday morning. The caller reported seeing the driver climb back onto the ice and head toward a fish house.

Officers arrived to find a fisherman had driven the 16-year-old victim back to shore where he was treated for hypothermia at the scene.

The boy said he drove his machine onto the main basin of the lake at the St. Regis access and headed southeast. The boy said he was about a half-mile from shore when he saw open water and tried to stop the snowmobile. However, he was unable to avoid going into the open water and the machine sank to the bottom of the lake.

The sheriff's office says they will work with the boy and his family to recover the machine from the water.

Authorities say even with colder temperatures, there continues to be thin ice and open water on Little Rock Lake and anyone venturing out onto the ice should use extreme caution.

The boy was taken by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital for further evaluation.