On Thursday, Delta County Sheriff’s Office personnel rescued six people who fell into the icy waters of Little Bay de Noc while riding ATVs on thin ice. In this photo, emergency workers board a boat during a prior rescue operation. (Photo courtesy of Delta County Sheriff’s Office)

GLADSTONE — It is muddy boot season in the Upper Peninsula. The same sun that melts the snow each spring to reveal the long-hidden ground beneath also thaws ice, causing potentially dangerous conditions for those such as ice anglers who recreate on area bodies of water.

Delta County Sheriff’s Office officials made a Facebook post late Thursday evening warning of unsafe ice conditions on Little Bay de Noc after three ATVs plunged into the freezing lake near the Red Gate in Kipling, just north of Gladstone.

Sheriff’s deputies along with rescue personnel from multiple other agencies responded to the unrelated incidents, which occurred three times Thursday.

Six people in total fell through the ice along with the ATVs. All six people were rescued, although three were transported to St. Francis Hospital by ambulance. Another was treated on the scene.

“During the rescue, responders observed open water and very unsafe ice conditions in this area. With the continued warm weather, ice conditions have degraded rapidly,” the sheriff’s office Facebook post reads.

In a Feb. 27 post, the sheriff’s office reported two separate incidents of vehicles falling through the Little Bay de Noc ice near Butler’s Island in Kipling.

The owner of Blade’s Bait & Tackle, also located in Kipling, posted on the business’ Facebook page Tuesday about potential areas of concern on Little Bay de Noc at that time.

“Once you’re on the ice, beware of sketchy areas in the shallows and at river mouths. Water is really flowing now and tends to erode the ice from below as the sun and mild temperatures work away at the surface, leaving it pocked and a little softer,” according to the post.

Today marks the end of ice fishing season in Michigan for pike and walleye, although the season is still open for other smaller fish.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources provides ice safety information on the department’s website. This includes recommendations to avoid ice with slush on top, and to be extra cautious if there is ice on a lake, but water around the shoreline.

For more information, visit michigan.gov/dnr/education/safety-info/ice.

Jessica Potila can be reached at 906-228-2500. Her email address is jpotila@miningjournal.net.