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The warmer than average temperatures we’ve been experiencing have prompted the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to issue a caution about ice conditions.
The warning comes after a pickup truck broke through the ice on Big Shag Lake near Gwinn Sunday afternoon, and sank.
No one was hurt, but conservation officer Josh Boudreaux says it’s a reminder that it’s never safe to drive vehicles onto the ice.
Aside from being dangerous, such incidents can also be expensive. Boudreaux says the state will start with a littering – yes, littering – charge of up to $2,500.
You’re responsible for pulling the vehicle out of the lake.
And, if any motor oil, fuel or other contaminants leak out of the vehicle, you can be fined up to $25,000 per day.
Remember, just because ice is thick, that doesn’t mean it’s strong. Warm weather and moisture on top of the ice can cause it to honeycomb, and weaken.
