ALBANY, N.Y.—Ten snowmobilers have died in thinly frozen lakes across the Northeast so far in a relatively mild winter.
Most of the accidents happened in New York state, where officials warned that, despite recent snowfalls, many lakes have not had enough cold days to develop ice thick enough for riding.
“There is more unsafe ice this winter,” said Col. Andrew Jacob of the New York Forest Rangers. “In most places of the state we haven’t had the bitter cold, below-zero weather you need to get really thick ice.”
Surprisingly, most of the accidents have involved men in their 50s and 60s who have been riding snowmobiles most of their lives.
That was the case with Steve Sattler, 67, and his brother Ed, 64, who died this month when their snowmobiles plunged through the ice on Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks as they were riding back to the family’s vacation home.
“It was unexpected because they were always very careful when they went out on ice,” said Linda Sattler, Steve’s daughter.
“We think they became disoriented because the weather was bad,” she said. “It was snowing and they apparently lost track of the trail that ran along the pond. When they realized where they were, it was too late.”
In New Hampshire, a 15-year-old boy drowned but his father was rescued after their snowmobiles fell through ice on Lake Winnipesaukee on Feb. 11. The same day, two men in their 60s died after their snowmobiles went through ice on a different part of the lake. A 54-year-old man was rescued by friends when his snowmobile fell through ice on the Piscataquog River Jan. 21.
In Maine, a 52-year-old Massachusetts man died when his snowmobile went through ice on Messalonskee Lake in early January.
