UPDATE 2/3/25 7:00 PM — Fond du Lac Sheriff’s Office has identified the Taycheedah man who died on Lake Winnebago Saturday.
67-year-old Clay Creighton was a passenger on the UTV when it fell through the ice. He was rescued after about 20 minutes in the water and later died at the hospital.
The 56-year-old driver of the UTV was treated for hypothermic-related symptoms.
LAKE WINNEBAGO, Wis. — One person is dead and another is being treated after their UTV fell through the ice on Lake Winnebago.
Fond du Lac County sheriff’s deputies responded to the accident around 12:25 p.m. on Feb. 1 about a quarter mile north of Lakeside Park in the town of Fond du Lac. Â
A 56-year-old Fond du Lac man was driving the UTV with a a 67-year-old man from the town of Taycheedah. The vehicle then encountered open water, and both individuals were in the water for approximately 20 minutes before bystanders noticed them.
Officers were unable to reach the men because of an active crack in the ice and 15-to-20 feet of open water. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office Amphibious Rescue Craft eventually transported the driver and passenger back to shore. They were then taken to a local hospital but the the 67-year-old man died at the hospital. The driver was treated for hypothermic related symptoms.
Authorities say the driver and passenger were wearing their seat belts, but did not have helmets or flotation devices. They note that unfamiliarity with the active crack, which was marked with downed Christmas trees, appears to be a factor in the crash.