Cars fall through ice at Lake Geneva’s Winterfest
Up to two dozen cars crashed through ice Sunday.
More than two dozen cars trapped on lake. Michele Fiore reports.
Emergency crews are on the scene after several cars fell through the ice at Winterfest in Lake Geneva Saturday. Movie courtesy Kathy Nalbert.
LAKE GENEVA – Lake Geneva police believe it was combination of sunshine and warmer temperatures Saturday that caused the ice under fifteen vehicles to crack shortly after two p.m..
Fortunateley, no one was in the vehicles as they partially submerged. As of ten pm, there were still three vehicles under water. Two towing companies were helping the fire department since these cars began submerging, but some drivers determined not to wait.
Watertown`s Jason St. Germaine didn’t walk, he ran to the lake after a noisy speaker announcement said cars on the ice were burying.
«It was kinda, it was kinda scary,” St. Germaine said. «There`s most likely four cars in front of us attempting to get out and I`m actually nervo us that there`s so many cars close to each other on the edge there that were gonna break through.»
With thousands in town for Lake Geneva’s Winter Fest and the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition, parking was difficult. So drivers took advantage of the open space.
Matthew Demko said he wasn`t worried about parking on the ice, even tho’ Saturday was mild.
“It was a fine spot to go and park … No, I wasn’t very worried because I seen all the people out there. I seen the cars on the there so for me it was OK,» Demko said after his car became partially submerged.
Julie Rowe thought the same thing.
«I just had angels , angels watching over me. I know it,” Rowe said.
She was especially glad she was able to rescue her own car because it held special significance.
«My mom passed away about six months ago and it was her car,” Rowe said.
Divers called for a tow company that specializes in these types of extractions. A few hours in, they already had half the vehicles out.
«The divers have indicated that most of them are resting on the ice that they were on top of, so the weight of the vehicle`s pushing them down at certain angles,” said Lake Geneva Police Lt. Ed Gritzner.
Amidst some award winning snow sculptures, the mess on the lake was an even thicker spectacle.
«Like I said, just horrifying and just, you know, thank the Lord that no one was in any of the cars,” said Lindsay Urbaitis of Twin Lakes.
Urbaities was here with her friend’s daughter. The sixteen year old was driving her dad’s Suburban, which was one of the last to be pulled out. Unluckily she hadn`t yet mustered up the courage to call and tell him yet.