Balsam Lake

[GrandpaTom]

Balsam Lake, WI — On the afternoon of Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 4:53 pm, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call that a vehicle had gone through the ice in the narrows between Balsam Lake and East Balsam.

The caller advised that they had not seen anyone exit the vehicle. Emergency services and local law enforcement were immediately dispatched to respond to the location.

At approximately 5:25 pm, a single male occupant was recovered by fire/rescue personnel from a silver Toyota Rav 4 bearing MN license plates which was almost fully submerged.

CPR was administered and the subject was transported to the St. Croix Regional Medical Center. A med-flight helicopter had been dispatched; however, hospital staff advised at 6:12 pm that the subject had passed away.

The subject’s name will be withheld pending notification of family members. This incident remains under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office. More details will be made available at a later time.

The agencies assisting in the incident were as follows: Balsam Lake Fire Department and First Responders, Balsam Lake Police Department, Lakes Region EMS, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Press Release by PCSD.
Picture submitted.

[Rebel SS]

https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/17/driver-dies-after-suv-goes-through-ice-on-balsam-lake-in-western-wisconsin/

[HD]

 

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[LPS]

How sad, I don't trust that lake.  RIP and I mean no disrespect to the fella that died.  What a bad situation.  But I told this story a long time ago on here.  When I lived in Stillwater I had friends that ice fished on Balsam over in Wisco.  It can be a busy lake.  About 30 years ago this happened.  All kinds of truck traffic is on the lake ice fishing.  People are skiing and all kinds of action.  These two friends of my friend had an old Toyota pickup with their porty and ice fishing gear in back.  They are driving out on the same road Suburbans and other trucks are using.  This little Toyota goes through.  Just the back tires and the whole truck is just sitting there.  Well these guys get out and crack a beer waiting for their buddies who are coming any minute to pull them out.  Other people stop and are checking this out but these guys aren't too worried.  After a few minutes the ice cracks and the whole truck full of gear drops through the ice.  LOL  They had all kinds of time to get their stuff out but just stood there and had a brewski.  When divers came out the next day the first diver down came up and said "Hey your snowmobile is right next to it."  The guy says "we didn't have a snowmobile".  The diver looks at the other diver and said "this ones mine"  LOL  They said it happens a lot.  A snowmobile must have gone in there earlier in the year and they got out and just left the snowmobile so they didn't have to pay a diver to go get it.  That made the weak spot in the ice but everyone else just got lucky.  I bet they go to the owners and say well give me the title or I will call the DNR and you will have to pay us for the recovery.