LaPorte County Officials Warn of Dangerous Ice Conditions

Thin IceThe LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office reminds residents to be extra careful and perhaps avoid being on the ice on many of the county’s inland lakes. They say the mild winter combined with a late freeze have made for unusual conditions. Deputy John Burger with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office Dive/Rescue Team says they’ve found numerous places where ice is several inches thick with very thin ice only a few yards away.

He adds this weekend’s warm temperatures will make the ice even more unstable. Burger encourages people to stay off it from this point on. Even under optimal conditions, he stresses there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice and says ice fishing and snowmobiling can turn deadly in an instant. Officials with the sheriff’s office recommend you wear a personal flotation device any time you are going to be near water.

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office Dive/Rescue team works side by side with SCUBA divers from the Michigan City Police Department and Indiana Conservation Officers. They train and practice year-round and focus extensively on cold water and ice rescues.