Missing Around Red Lake

So sad. Prayers to the family and friends. Just a terrible tragedy.

I’m so sorry to hear and read this…
My prayers go out to their families.
Puts a big negative in the enthusiasm of the upcoming ice season. So very sad…..

Terrible story. It’s kind of surreal as I was up there fishing Friday and Saturday out of JR’s and never saw any ice under 7 inches. I was watching JRs ice reports before I went up and he said the good ice was straight out from the resort and there was bad ice to the east (towards Rogers). Sounded like a few ATVs went in over there last weekend.

As confident as I felt while on the ice up there this tragedy made me wonder if the ice I was fishing was 7-9 inches everywhere I traveled. You can never be too safe.

Prayers for all parties involved, this is a tragedy.

Condolences to the family and friends. This is a tough one for everyone involved.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Terrible story. It’s kind of surreal as I was up there fishing Friday and Saturday out of JR’s and never saw any ice under 7 inches. I was watching JRs ice reports before I went up and he said the good ice was straight out from the resort and there was bad ice to the east (towards Rogers). Sounded like a few ATVs went in over there last weekend.

As confident as I felt while on the ice up there this tragedy made me wonder if the ice I was fishing was 7-9 inches everywhere I traveled. You can never be too safe.

Ariel view of Red Lake from yesterday.

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Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Terrible story. It’s kind of surreal as I was up there fishing Friday and Saturday out of JR’s and never saw any ice under 7 inches. I was watching JRs ice reports before I went up and he said the good ice was straight out from the resort and there was bad ice to the east (towards Rogers). Sounded like a few ATVs went in over there last weekend.

As confident as I felt while on the ice up there this tragedy made me wonder if the ice I was fishing was 7-9 inches everywhere I traveled. You can never be too safe.

Ariel view of Red Lake from yesterday.

Terrible story. So sad when young life is taken through a tragedy.

Each man/woman is responsible for their own actions and judging by the pictures IceNEyes shared these two were no strangers to outdoor activities, but you have to wonder what kind of responsibility these resorts have in all of this. To hear that other quads went through the ice too besides these two is disheartening. And of course there was the ordeal last year or the year before where those fellas were stranded on an iceberg and the resorts kept closing and reopening their ramps. I know there isn’t much in the way of an economy up there but it seems to me that some more caution should be exercised in their choices to open the access points.

R.I.P. to these two young people. Thoughts and prayers for the families

My condolences to the family and friends. This story makes my heart sink.

IceNEyes, sorry you lost your friends. This is a very sad.

-J.

First, I want to say thank you for the condolences. They don’t go unnoticed.
This is a post from Mellisa’s brother on BookFace.

Jake Seidenstricker
1 hr

Yesterday I was with investigators to go look at the fish house they slept in as we got there they had to take pictures so I sit outside to wait and pull up my binoculars to scan around. I see 2 black dots way off in the distance I tell the investigators about it and say I’m going to drive closer to get a look.
As I drive closer I see the big hole so I figured I’d get off the wheeler and start walking. The dots were out beyond the hole to the north and I was in the east side of the hole about a 1/4 mile away. I walked towards the dots but kept looking at the hole and decided to go in closer to look, I noticed a couple of strange things on the south side of the hole.
So I walked closer to look and here it was my sister’s boot and glove and then I saw all of their boots and gloves floating on the edge of the ice. One boot was on top of the ice.
I called the lead search and rescue guy and they hurried out on hovercraft with the ice guys in cold water suits to start the search.
They only found the same stuff I found and my hope was that they got out of the water and left their boots there.
They came back out with a sonar to do down and side imaging which they seen the wheeler and trailer under the ice about 15 ft away from the edge of open water. When they went to recover the wheeler they found the bodies right there and pulled them out.

The 2 black dots that caught my attention were 2 big and beautiful eagles which I could only think that was Melissa and Zeth showing me where to look leading me to the location! Fly high you two! Forever fishing and traveling the sky’s!

but you have to wonder what kind of responsibility these resorts have in all of this. To hear that other quads went through the ice too besides these two is disheartening

I read a post from Kelly Petrowski yesterday saying he knew of 11 snowmobiles and ATVs going through the ice this year. With conditions in the pic like was posted above if I owned a resort I would forego a few bucks to keep my access closed to vehicles and only allow walking.

Wasn’t it a few years ago that people fell through on LOTW because a resort opened too early and after that, all of the resorts got together and agreed to open and close together at the same time to avoid the race to be the first to open? Sounds like the same should be done on Red. I’m sure the resort in this case feels awful. Not their fault, but still hits close to home when they are going out of your place.

“the resorts got together and agreed to open and close together at the same time to avoid the race to be the first to open?”
X2

Very Hard post to read, It made me look very hard at all the risks I have taken and close calls I have had and how easily this can happen. I ordered a new Coast Guard approved float coat and will be taking more precautions this season.

My heart goes out to the family and friends.

Stories like this make me wish it was mandatory to wear a life jacket early and late ice. Not that it changes anything but walking out a couple hundred yards on clear ice is nothing and I wish the resort had not pushed it so soon. I can’t begin to imagine the loss these families are coping with. Hug your kids a little tighter next time, I know I will.

so sad to read this,prayers for the families and friends.

munchy wrote:

but you have to wonder what kind of responsibility these resorts have in all of this. To hear that other quads went through the ice too besides these two is disheartening

I read a post from Kelly Petrowski yesterday saying he knew of 11 snowmobiles and ATVs going through the ice this year. With conditions in the pic like was posted above if I owned a resort I would forego a few bucks to keep my access closed to vehicles and only allow walking.

When we came in from fishing Saturday evening the word around JR’s was that 4 ATVs went in over their (east a couple miles, not gonna name resort) that day. Not sure if it was ever confirmed but that was the word going around. Just sad all around. We caught a lot of fish but the news yesterday put a damper on the good feelings from the trip.

I do agree that resorts need to be vigilant in this topic. However, resorts can only do so much if people decide to go out against their advice (not saying that is what happened in this situation). I thought JR’s did a great job informing everyone to not go east as there was some sketchy ice in that direction, and no one did. No one went through.

I’m not promoting any one resort but I can see where some years mother nature gives one end of the lake better ice then the other or locks up sooner then the other. If 1 resort will not allow access the fishermen just go down the road to the next? We deal with pressure ridges all most every year and darn if fishermen drive right into them every year. Common sense goes along way if it does not look right, might not be right. Upper red lake can be a monster when the wind blows . Yesterday she was howling out of the west. Now today going to howl out of the south. I be leave I have read it is the third largest inland water in the united states that’s a big sheet of ice and it amazes me that the wind can move it but it sure does.

my prayers go out to all the family and friends.

http://www.fox9.com/news/family-blames-red-lake-resort-for-death-of-2-anglers

My sympathies go out to all who have suffered in this tragedy.

I can’t wrap my head around the idea that this is somehow the resorts fault.I acknowedge that each person has a choice to make on whether to go out on any ice. “However”
I find the whole ice fishing Industrie at fault here, with their constant promotion that early ice is the best fishing, that simply is not true!
All of you professionals promote it and encourage it, when the truth is these tradegies happen every season. So when you put on that new ice suit, start your new augers, turn on your new depth finders, fish with the great new rod and new lures that were given to you in order to sell and endorse their products. Remember these two lost lives and know that you and your industry had a hand in it.

R.I.P. Melissa and Zeth

reelman wrote:

All of you professionals promote it and encourage it,

Do you have any examples to provide to support your rhetoric?

Oh and another thing you forgot to mention reelman, you forgot to blame the professionals for encouraging last season open water fishing which can be dangerous as well.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.dglobe.com/news/accidents/4357839-searches-continue-friday-missing-red-lake-fishermen%3famp

reelman wrote:

My sympathies go out to all who have suffered in this tragedy.

I can’t wrap my head around the idea that this is somehow the resorts fault.I acknowedge that each person has a choice to make on whether to go out on any ice. “However”
I find the whole ice fishing Industrie at fault here, with their constant promotion that early ice is the best fishing, that simply is not true!
All of you professionals promote it and encourage it, when the truth is these tradegies happen every season. So when you put on that new ice suit, start your new augers, turn on your new depth finders, fish with the great new rod and new lures that were given to you in order to sell and endorse their products. Remember these two lost lives and know that you and your industry had a hand in it.

R.I.P. Melissa and Zeth

Im not in the business but love to fish and I think your blaming the professionals and industry is absolutely absurd and completely unfounded! What ever happened to personal responsibility and common sense of which your post seems to ignore. IMHO

Great topic! Out of respect for the OP and all who is hurt by this tragedy I think another thread should be started.

Under that school of thought, those that promote auto and truck sales would then have a “hand” in it for those that lose their lives as a result of traffic accidents.
Let’s not let this thread turn into ridiculousness.

MNdrifter wrote:

Great topic! Out of respect for the OP and all who is hurt by this tragedy I think another thread should be started.

X1000

nhamm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MNdrifter wrote:</div>
Great topic! Out of respect for the OP and all who is hurt by this tragedy I think another thread should be started.

X1000

I agree.

MNdrifter wrote:

Great topic! Out of respect for the OP and all who is hurt by this tragedy I think another thread should be started.

Agree 100%

I’ve seen reports stating they rented a fish house. Some say it was on shore but I seen that there are rented shacks on the ice. Can anyone confirm where the rented shack was?

Turns out the young lady was from Princeton according to our local paper. Sad deal.