A 40-year-old Parkers Prairie, Minn., man broke through the ice on his ATV on Saturday morning.
The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Department said Bryan Appelget was riding his four-wheeled ATV on Lake Adley, just south of Parkers Prairie, when he noticed an area of unsafe ice. Because of the slippery conditions, he was unable to stop and broke through the thin ice.
Appelget was able to climb onto the ice on his own and was warming up in his nearby fishing house when emergency personnel arrived, officers said.
The ATV remains submerged in about 12 feet of water. Removal will not be attempted until ice conditions improve, according to officers.
"Ice thickness varies across lakes at this time, making the ice unsafe in many areas," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "Recent warmer temperatures have also contributed to the deterioration of the ice. Extreme caution should be used during any ice-related activities."
