Three vehicles break through Black Lake ice

On three separate occasions since Saturday the Cheboygan County Sheriff?s Department has responded to reports of vehicles breaking through the ice on Black Lake, all near the mouth of Black River, off 5-Mile Point.

?The ice near any river mouth is fragile. The water is constantly moving and the ice is unsafe. I reiterate, individuals need to be aware of where they?re at on any frozen lake or pond and need to use extreme caution when venturing around the mouth of a river or stream or any known springs on a lake. Just because it is cold out doesn?t mean the ice is safe,? said Cheboygan County Sheriff Dale Clarmont.

Saturday a 2000 Dodge Pickup driven by Blake Kyler, 19, of Vandenburg and carrying passengers Cody Besteman, 19, of Hudsonville; Alexander Ingersol, 22, of Marne; and Steven Tucker, 21, of Belmont broke through the ice just off of 5-Mile Point. All the men were able to get out of the vehicle and get back on safe ice where they called 9-1-1 and deputies responded to the scene. The vehicle was retrieved Sunday by Grainger?s Towing of Onaway.

SUNDAY BROUGHT the second incident as Kasey Hyde, 44, of Onaway was in his 2005

Chevy Silverado with Damon Marsh, 38, of Onaway as a passenger, going to look at what was going on with the truck that had went through Saturday when they too broke through the ice near the same location.

Both were able to get out of the vehicle before it sank and someone on shore who had witnessed what was going on dialed 9-1-1. The Cheboygan County Sheriff?s Department, the Alverno Fire Department and Cheboygan Life Support responded to the call.

The third incident was minor as the back tires of a motor vehicle operated by a Cheboygan resident broke through near the same location on Wednesday.

IT HAS been reported that there are 12-18 inches of ice on Black Lake. ?However, once again I advise and caution individuals and anglers that no ice is completely safe,? said Sheriff Clarmont.