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Police: Man Breaks Through The Ice, Dies While Fishing

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 50-year-old man from Wheaton, Minn., died Sunday after he broke through the ice on Mud Lake while ice fishing, authorities said.

Traverse County Sheriff Brion Plautz said crews found Charles Krauth's body in about 7 feet of water around 2:30 a.m. Monday morning. Ice depths in the area where Krauth broke through were less than one inch.

Plautz said Krauth's family called police around 10:25 p.m. Sunday after he didn't return home from fishing. A search party – consisting of Traverse County police, Wheaton police, DNR officers and the State Patrol officers – then searched various public and private landings on Lake Traverse.

At 12:15 a.m., authorities received information that Krauth's pickup had been located by the White Rock Dam. Search crews then traced Krauth's path from the dam and onto Mud Lake, where they found Krauth's dog and ATV.

Crews also found a hole in the lake that a human appeared to have punctured. Rescue crews found Krauth in the water a few hours later.

During this unusually warm winter, authorities have often asked people to be cautious on the ice.

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