Driver Falls Through Ice, Manages To Save Himself As Truck Sinks To Bottom Of Lake

A Wisconsin man narrowly escaped a near tragedy after his pickup truck fell through ice while driving over a frozen lake. The man made it out of the vehicle just in time as the vehicle sank to the bottom of Lake Winnebago.

The 51-year-old man from Fond du Lac was driving over the ice on Lake Winnebago on Saturday afternoon when he encountered a weak patch. His pickup truck broke through the ice and fell into the freezing cold water, according to WFRV. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

The man acted quickly and threw his phone out of the truck onto the ice. He was submerged waist-deep inside the water before successfully climbing out of the truck and reaching safe land.

Thankfully, his phone remained dry throughout the ordeal and allowed him to call 911 to report the incident. The man reached an ice shanty nearby for some solace from the wind and waited for first responders to rescue him, WKOW reported.

Officials said deputies arrived at the scene and took the help of a man as well as his UTV to reach the driver’s location. They brought him back to Lakeside West where paramedics checked his vitals. No injuries were reported at the scene.

The man’s pickup truck submerged and sank to the bottom of the lake, noted the sheriff’s office. They said the truck's location was marked by GPS coordinates and that the owner had 30 days to have the vehicle removed.

Authorities warned residents of being victims of similar instances.

“Don’t let the cold temperatures we’ve had in recent weeks fool you,” Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. “There are some serious cracks and areas of thin ice on the lake again this winter, so follow the local fishing club pages. They do an excellent job posting current updates on the ever-changing ice conditions, placing bridges and marking roads.”

Officials also shared pictures taken by a drone on social media. “The photograph with the red circle indicates the location the truck broke through the ice, and the truck is currently sitting on the bottom of the lake," the sheriff's office said. "The other three images were all taken from the same location and include a photograph, thermal image, and combination photo/thermal image. You can clearly see the cracks in the thermal image and the shades of bright yellow indicate the most heat. These yellow heat signatures indicate areas of very thin ice or even open water.”