Fatality on the ice

[beer batter]

First off, my condolensces to the family and friends of the man whose truck went through and died while hiking on the ice in the cold. Terrible tragedy. Nobody deserves to go out that way.

Anyone know the ice conditions where the truck went through? Was speed potentially involved? I haven't been up to that area, but the areas I have been going have vehicles traveling most places across the lakes. Surprised me to hear of this knowing the ice conditions where I commonly go are around the 20" mark consistently. I'm guessing Leech still has some real shaky ice conditions out there?

[Nutty Fisherman]

I to am very sorry that something like this has to happen. He didn't know the lake and drove across a channel where there was water current. He drove past a sign warning about the thin ice. From the way it sounds if he would have walked to his left he would have came to highway 371 witch was closer then were he was trying to walk to. There is a wright up about it in the Brainerd news paper.

[RogersMN]

I live in the same town as the guy that died. I knew who he was, but didn't really know him. He has 2 young kids (6 and 3). I've heard he was out looking for a buddy who was running late. The pictures are amazing, the truck was about a trucks length away from shore. I've heard he was an extremely sensible person. I don't understand it.

[10,000 Casts]

Rogersmn, where did you see pics of the truck?

[RogersMN]

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?contentId=5479796

hope the link works. there's like 3-4 pictures.

[Grady]

Very tragic news. Was he in the area where the lake May stream empties into Leech?

There are several current area on Leech that should be avoided. Please, always check with a local resort, bait shop or others locals regarding where you plan to fish and ask for current conditions and warning.

[leechlake]

very sad, that is the where the river is between Kabekona Bay and Walker Bay, right where the Erickson's landing access is.

[10,000 Casts]

Wow, he was about a stones throw from the hwy. He must have thought he could make it, I am still wondering what campsite they are talking about.

[dirtking]

When they say camp site - I think they mean fish house - they were probably "camping" on the lake? Very Sad.

[RiverKarhu]

No campsite, they were camped on unposted private land on Sand Point. He was with another guy, they both went into town separately, the other guy on an ATV. On the way back the guy on the ATV went straight north from town, the guy in the truck went along the west shore. Drove across the Kabekona channel, thats where he went in. They said he swam to shore, but the water there is really shallow, like 3 feet or so. Dunno why he didn't go up to the road, but I guess it was late at night and alcohol was involved so he might have wanted to avoid interaction with law enforcement authorities. Heckuva hike to Sand Point from there, but he musta figured he could make it. I imagine they came onto the ice there, so he must have known where he was.

That's the way I heard it from one of the first on the scene.

cheers

River

[10,000 Casts]

where did they find the body at?

The only campground in that are is the shores of leech lake and thats south of there. I am interested to know where and what they were camping in?

[RiverKarhu]

10000 -

They found him along the shore between Kabekona and Sand Point. He was evidently walking along the shore trying to get to the end of the point.

I don't know what they were camping in, I was told that they were camping on the end of Sand Point. It's private land that is not(presently) posted. It's only accessible by water - or ice this time of year. No landside road to the Point.

cheers

River