'Never 100 Percent Safe': Sheriff Emphasizes Safety On Ice

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It may be game day, but for Dean Grell, that means watching the game on the ice.

When Grell brings out his F150 and fish house, though, he makes sure it's safe.

"I'm never the first one on the ice," Grell said. "You look here, a lot of tracks. I always make sure I'm not the scout that goes out there. I'm a follower on the ice."

The Chisago County Sheriff's Office says you need to be careful on the ice.

"If you are in a vehicle, don't wear your seat belt, keep your windows down, travel at low speeds, keep your door partly ajar," said Chisago County Sheriff Scotty Finnegan.

Ethan is out on the ice with his grandpa and he heard about the snowmobilers who went through the ice. He was a little more on edge on the lake.

"At first I heard the ice crack and I was like, 'Uh oh," he said. "But it was just the cars coming back and forth."

But Ethan felt a lot better when his grandpa drilled the hole.

"It's, like, 14 inches, it's okay," he said.

That little bit of fear isn't a bad thing.

"The No. 1 rule is ice is never 100 percent safe. Never trust it," Finnegan said.

For more information on ice safety tips, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' website.