Posted: 1/22/03

First Lake ice is unsafe

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Open water on Forest Lake in January is not a common sight, longtime residents say, and officials donít believe the conditions will improve much this winter.

Even with the coldest temperatures of the season this week, the sub-zero nights are not freezing over a large section of First Lake, said David Schwartz, police chief and director of public safety.

The danger has been punctuated by a Sunday evening episode when a car with two occupants fell through the ice in eight feet of water. Both men escaped the vehicle and walked to shore but were lucky, Schwartz said.

ìWeíve had bad ice before, but not like this,î Schwartz said on Tuesday.

The chief said the open water on First Lake is about 200 yards long and 75 yards wide and ìchangingî in shape. ìIt is changing in size,î he said. ìItís more of a triangle now.î

Washington County officials have advised no vehicle traffic on First Lake. The heavily used body of water is still of concern, Schwartz said.

ìIím really concerned about the safety of the ice conditions on First Lake,î Schwartz said.

Why this year?

Schwartz does not proclaim himself a lake expert in answering why this year for such poor ice conditions. While Second and Third lakes are generally in good condition, First Lake is not, he said.

ìThis is an unusual year,î the chief said.

He has his theory for why the conditions are poor on First Lake.

Schwartz said the advent of the lake freeze-up late last year did not produce good ice. A warm fall complicated the process, he said, and conditions became more unstable early in January when the area saw back-to-back 50-degree days.

The open water has been created in part by strong winds that churn the water and lots of sunshine in January, he said. The lack of ground snow has also moderated temperatures, Schwartz added.

ìThatís my speculation,î he said. During one drive by of the open water late last week Schwartz said there were white caps on the water. Not a usual sight for January, he added.

Ice conditions were poor a year ago, as well, he said, but the late winter did produce some good ice. Will it happen again in 2003?

ìI donít see that happening this year,î he said.

Lake incidents

The vehicle that went through the ice Sunday night is the second to do so this winter.

Schwartz said three snowmobiles and one four-wheel all-terrain vehicle have also gone through the ice while trying to cross the narrows between First and Second lakes.

Sundayís incident was reported at 8:41. A 1995 Plymouth Neon sport coupe broke through the ice about 200 yards from shore near the bay area of Forest Lake.

Mark R. Strohmayer Jr., 20, of Anoka, and his passenger, Brent M. Kadel, 22, of Coon Rapids, managed to get out of the car before it went down.

Schwartz said both men suffered leg scrapes while exiting the vehicle. The men walked to 1379 SE 7th Ave. where they called police. They declined medical treatment.

The car broke through the ice about one-quarter of a mile from the narrows. The incident was not near the open water area, he said.

Because the incident happened at night and the scene was difficult for rescue workers to find, the two men were lucky they managed to get out of the car on their own, Schwartz said.

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