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January 6, 2000
5 teen-agers rescued after snowmobiles plunge into lakeAuthorities warn ice is not safeBy GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer COTTONWOOD TOWNSHIP -- Five New Ulm teen-agers were rescued following a snowmobile accident Tuesday night on Clear Lake, south of New Ulm. The teen-agers were riding snowmobiles on Clear Lake, when they encountered an area with only a thin crust of ice, causing the vehicles to fall into the lake at approximately 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Jason Peter Stadtherr, 17, Amanda Rose Lingl, 15, and Matt Allen Classen, 16, were taken to New Ulm Medical Center, where they were treated and released. Classen and Lingl were sharing a snowmobile at the time of the incident. Daniel Paul Stadtherr, 16, was taken to New Ulm Medical Center, where he was treated, kept overnight for observation and released early Wednesday. A fifth teen-ager, Robert John Stadtherr, 15, was taken to New Ulm Medical Center and later flown to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was listed as being in serious condition Wednesday afternoon. The Stadtherrs are brothers. The teen-agers managed to help each other out of the water, Jason Stadtherr said. He and Lingl walked to a nearby house, the Larry Wilfahrt residence, from which residents notified authorities. After rescuers arrived on the scene, they cautiously followed Jason Stadtherr and Lingl's footprints to the accident scene as the other three victims hollered for help. Robert Stadtherr was found unconscious on the ice, and hypothermia was setting in. "He was in tough shape," said Brown County Chief Deputy Tim Brennan. The victims were taken to the Wilfahrt residence near the accident scene where the Wilfahrt family pitched in to help rescue personnel. Ambulance crew members, law enforcement personnel and the Wilfahrts worked quickly to remove the cold, soaked clothing from the victims. Also, a bathtub was filled with warm water, and Robert Stadtherr was placed in it to counter the effects of hypothermia, Brennan said. After that procedure was successful, he was then wrapped in towels and blankets and transported to the hospital by ambulance. "He didn't have any frostbite and we have been told he should be released tomorrow," Jason said, referring to Robert. "He was the last one out of the water, but it didn't seem like he was in there that long, really." "We walked out without any problem once we managed to get out," Jason Stadtherr said. "Someone told me they had been walking on the ice and it seemed thick. It was thick, except in the area where we went under." Spot lights were set up to aid the rescue efforts. Rescuers exercised caution as they proceeded toward the accident scene because they did not know what the condition of the ice was between them and the victims, Brennan said. They also knew they needed to reach the victims as quickly as possible because of the danger of hypothermia. When rescuers reached the victims, the teen-agers who had cried out for help turned very quiet They were "just in shock," Brennan said. Later, the teen-agers expressed their gratitude for the rescue. "They were just so happy someone could get to them, " Brennan said. The combination of unsafe ice and nightime conditions created a "really dangerous situation," Brennan said. Amanda Lingl feared for her life Tuesday night as she struggled in the frigid water of Clear Lake. Her companions shouted to her to keep swimming, telling her not to give up, she said Wednesday. "I don't think I'll live to see 16," she told them. Her 16th birthday is today. At one point in the frantic aftermath of the plunge into the lake, Lingl remembers being submerged. Everything occurred so fast, it was difficult for her to recall exactly what happened, she said. She does know that Jason Stadtherr pulled her out of the water, and she and Matt Stadtherr walked to the Wilfahrt residence. Wednesday morning, the accident and rescue seemed to be "all a dream," Lingl said. By early evening, she characterized the life-threatening experience as a "big shock that we all made it." Lingl and her companions never realized the risks they were taking when they ventured onto Clear Lake Tuesday evening. With the harrowing experience over, Lingl advises everyone to heed warnings about potentially unsafe situations to avoid a similar accident. As for herself, she plans to stay on land. "You won't catch me on any water like that again," she said. Weather conditions of alternating warm and cold days do not create the thickness of ice necessary for on-ice activities such as snowmobiling, Brennan said. Also, any body of water with aeration or springs is more likely to have thin spots. "Parents need to strongly warn their children to stay off any frozen bodies of water, especially when there is no adult present," Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Water Safety Specialist Tim Smalley said. State officials recommend a minimum of 4 inches of ice for walking and small group activities on the ice, with a minimum of 5 inches for snowmobiles and at last a foot for cars. "Snowmobile riders should never overdrive their headlight," Smalley said. "At 30 miles per hour it can take longer to stop than the headlight shines." Snowmobilers should avoid traveling across water unless they know how thick the ice actually is because snow cover prevents safe ice from forming, he said. "There is no way that the ice is completely safe at this point," Smalley said. "With the unseasonably warm weather we have had, it's hard to predict when people can go out without taking unnecessary risks. The best advice is to avoid it all together." If venturing onto the ice, flotation devices should be worn under winter clothes. If a person falls into the ice, they should always remain calm and turn toward the direction they came from, he said. "We can't stress enough the importance of safety on ice," Smalley said. "Last winter, 10 people died in ice-related accidents, making it the most dangerous season on record since 1987." Journal news editor Donna Weber contributed to this story.
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