Saginaw Man Dies After Falling Through Ice in Arenac County

The Standish Area Fire Authority was called out onto the Saginaw Bay Sunday morning for a report of a man falling through the ice.

The Arenac County Sheriff’s Department reported the 59-year-old Saginaw man was fishing in a area off the Pine River State Access in Standish when he fell through the ice. The fire authority was able to locate the man and recover his body. First responders and hospital staff later were unable to resuscitate the man. His name has been withheld at this time.

The Huron County Sheriff’s Department is advising residents to be cautious when heading out onto the ice of the Saginaw Bay. Sheriff Kelly Hanson says while some areas of the bay have ice more than six inches thick, recent aerial observations indicate open pockets of water in both Huron and Tuscola counties. Combined with the appearance of different areas of ice with deformities, safety becomes an issue, especially for anglers who fish during hours while it’s dark outside.

Hanson says with the potential for this week’s weather forecast to have temps in the upper 30s, possible rain and nights just below freezing, the quality of many areas of the ice can become compromised. Anglers and other who enjoy the bay are advised not to take the ice for granted.