Another vehicle goes through the lake ice

Pickup driven off Main Avenue ramp

A 1994 Chevrolet pickup has been recovered after breaking through the ice on Clear Lake during the early morning hours Tuesday, Feb. 26.

  The truck, operated by Matthew Curry, 38, of Mason City, broke through the ice on Clear Lake approximately 40 feet from the boat ramp at the downtown seawall shortly after 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

  Both Curry and a female passenger were able to get out of the truck and were uninjured. The front of the truck was submerged with the back end sticking up from the surface of the water. 

The truck was pulled from the water later Tuesday morning.  A tow truck operator from Mason City worked to free the vehicle, helped by a local equipment operator who used a back hoe to break up the ice at the end of the boat ramp to enable the vehicle to be pulled through the water, rather than over ice.

  The Department of Natural Resources urges the public to use extreme caution due to inconsistent weather patterns and ice formation this year. Weather conditions can also make it difficult to spot places such as pressure ridges where the ice may be weaker.