WATERFORD TOWNSHIP (WWJ) -- A man is recovering after falling through the ice on a snowmobile in Waterford Township.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team was called to Pleasant Lake at 5:44 p.m. on Dec. 31 for a report of a snowmobile that broke through the ice, according to a post on the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page.
The rider’s wife was the one who called 911. She told police that he was riding across the ice when he fell through. Two neighbors went onto the ice to try to find him, before becoming disoriented in the whiteout conditions. Both were able to safely return to the shore.
The Search and Rescue Team and Waterford Regional Fire Department were able to find him and bring him safely to shore. His snowmobile was also recovered from the water. The man was taken to St. Joseph Hospital and treated for injuries and hypothermia.
The Sheriff’s Office says the incident is a reminder that ice conditions can change rapidly, even during periods of cold weather. “We encourage extreme caution around ‘frozen’ lakes and ponds and to avoid traveling on ice unless conditions are known to be safe.”