Watch! Pickup Disappears After Breaking Through Ice On St. Croix

An online video recorded by a Central Minnesota man is a great reminder about why you should know about the body of water you are driving on, and what dangers are possible. The video captured a pickup slipping under the water of the St. Croiz River after breaking through thin ice, not too far from a water return.

Jared Jose's video, which he took Saturday night around 6:15 PM shows a dark-colored pickup truck sticking halfway into a hole on the St. Croix River, as the video zooms out, you see the pickup slip under the ink-black water and out of view. Luckily everyone in the pickup could get out and get to safety before the truck sank.

According to Jared, the pickup went in near a power plant that operates along the river, and has a water discharge canal in the area, discharging warm water from the power plant, causing thin ice and ice stability issues on the St. Croix in that immediate area.

The nearby plant, the Allen S. King Generating Plant, which is a coal-burning plant, is slated to be decommissioned in 2028.

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Minnesota Statute 86B.107 says the owner has to notify the state that their vehicle went in, and they've got 30 days to get it out.

"The owner of a submerged vehicle is responsible for removing the vehicle from waters of the state, unless the vehicle is permitted or otherwise exempt from removal. Removal must be completed within 30 days of the vehicle entering the water or being discovered in the water, unless the owner is notified in writing by the political subdivision having jurisdiction that the removal must be completed sooner. Upon request of the political subdivision the commissioner may extend the 30-day time period for removal.

(b) The owner of the vehicle shall report that the vehicle is submerged in a body of water. The owner shall report the date and the circumstances surrounding the submergence to the sheriff of the county where the body of water is located within 48 hours of the vehicle entering the water.

(c) If the vehicle is not removed according to paragraph (a), the political subdivision in whose jurisdiction the lake or watercourse is located shall remove the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle is subject to a civil penalty of not less than twice nor more than five times the costs incurred by the political subdivision to remove, process, and dispose of the vehicle. Civil penalties imposed under this section may be enforced and distributed as provided in section 115A.99."

What is the cost of getting your vehicle out of the water? In general, it will cost you between $6,000 and $15,000.

Minnesota in general has seen plenty of vehicles go into bodies of water this year, which also happens to be a year in which we've had adequate ice to get out and be on the water.

If you are heading out onto an unfamiliar body of water, be sure to get some information about the lake, and ask locals if there are any areas to avoid, and remember when you head out on the lake, crack your window, unlock your doors, and go slow.