Authorities issue warning after three fall into Lake Superior from icy shore in Duluth

Ice formations along the Lake Superior shore on Park Point in Duluth.
Ice formations along the Lake Superior shore on Park Point in Duluth.
Andrew Krueger | MPR News 2017

Authorities in Duluth responded to two calls of people falling from ice into Lake Superior along Park Point on Saturday.

While the lake is no longer ice-covered this spring, large mounds of ice remain along the shore on Park Point.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said the first call was reported at about 4:15 p.m.

"Initially it was reported that a 13-year-old male fell in the water, and was floating on an ice chunk," the Sheriff's Office reported in a news release. "An adult supervising the youth group attempted to remove the juvenile male from the water, and fell in during the process. The adult was able to safely remove the juvenile and himself from the water."

The 13-year-old was treated at the scene and released; the adult declined medical treatment.

About two hours later, authorities received a report that a 47-year-old woman had fallen into the lake while attempting to rescue one of her dogs who fell from the ice. A bystander called 911.

The Sheriff's Office said two deputies located the woman and kept her head above water. As they were on the ice holding the woman's hands, Duluth Fire Department personnel and others at the scene pulled the deputies — and the woman — to safety.

Last week, an 82-year-old man died after breaking through ice on Prairie Lake near Floodwood, Minn., west of Duluth.

"The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office is advising everyone to stay off the ice on area waterways for the remainder of the season. This is the second person to go through the ice (Saturday) and the third within a week, one of which resulted in a fatality," the Sheriff's Office said. "No ice in the area is considered safe at this time."