Man missing after breaking through Mississippi River ice by U of M
Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies and Water Patrol are searching for an adult man who fell through the ice on the Mississippi River near the University of Minnesota Rowing Club around 4 p.m. Friday and could not be located before nightfall. A woman who tried to reach him also broke through the ice but managed to get back to shore and was taken to a hospital as a precaution for cold exposure. Water Patrol used sonar to search beneath the ice Friday evening without success and say they will resume search‑and‑recovery operations Saturday in daylight. The incident highlights how deceptively thin and unstable river ice remains in mid‑February around campus and elsewhere in the metro, despite recent cold snaps, and underscores law‑enforcement warnings against venturing onto large rivers during winter.
📌 Key Facts
- Around 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, an adult man walking on the Mississippi River ice near the U of M Rowing Club fell through.
- An adult woman who went onto the ice to help him also fell in, but was able to get back to shore and was hospitalized for cold exposure as a precaution.
- Hennepin County Sheriff’s Water Patrol used sonar Friday evening but could not locate the man and will resume search‑and‑recovery operations Saturday in daylight.
📊 Relevant Data
Since 1976, there have been 267 ice-related fatalities in Minnesota, with only 5 resulting from hypothermia.
Minnesota Ice-Related Fatality Statistics 1976 – 2024 — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Climate change is causing the Mississippi River in Minnesota to have thinner ice, covering less area, and melting earlier than in previous decades.
Climate change makes Mississippi River freeze over less than ever — jsonline.com
Ice off timing on Lake Pepin, part of the Mississippi River near Minnesota, now occurs more than a week earlier due to climate change impacts.
Impacts of climate change on the Mississippi River — wicci.wisc.edu
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