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Minnesota DNR: Ice still too thin to play on

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Nov 23, 2011 at 8:29 am

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is warning the ice on the state's lakes and rivers is still too thin to play on, so parents should keep a sharp eye on their children during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The department reports that as of Monday, it had received no reports of ice anywhere in the state that was consistently 4 inches deep, the recommended thickness for walking.

There's already been at least one thin-ice accident in Minnesota. On Sunday, an 8-year-old boy fell through the ice on a small pond in Oak Grove. He was rescued after 15 minutes and taken to a hospital.

DNR water safety specialist Tim Smalley says children are always attracted to ice, but they often don't know when it's thick enough to support their weight.