Car Falls Through the Ice on Little Muskego Lake

A 17-year-old Muskego teen almost got in over his head, literally, when he tried to visit a friend by short-cutting across Little Muskego Lake on Saturday.

According to reports from the Muskego Police Department, the teen was going to visit a friend around 5:25 p.m. and decided to drive onto the lake, heading from Lannon Drive toward Hillview Drive (west across the lake).

Reports stated that the driver thought the ice would be thick enough, but turned around shortly after starting off. As the vehicle was returning eastbound, the ice began to give way, and its front tires became submerged. Accident reports show the vehicle was not far off shore at the time. 

The teen was able to reach land again, but reports state the vehicle became totally submerged by 10:15 p.m.

MPD officials explained that the Department of Natural Resources generally handle the removal of vehicles and other similar objects from the lake within 24 hours.

"With the wild weather changes predicted over this coming week, everyone needs to realize that the ice may not be as safe as it looks," said Lt. Dave Constantineau. 

As of Monday morning, there was still open water on the lake, with several ice shanties dotting the bays nearby. Temperatures are expecting to warm into the mid-50s on Tuesday, which will further compromise the ice's strength, so it's best to stay off of the lakes.