By ILSA MINOR

The Daily Press

ESCANABA — The Delta County sheriff is warning anglers to use extra care on the ice after a side-by-side and a snowmobile went through the ice in the Escanaba River and on Lake Michigan.

The sheriff’s office said a Gladstone man died Saturday after the side-by-side he was driving went through the ice on Little Bay de Noc.

Delta County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched to a report of someone going through the ice at the mouth of the Escanaba River at 7:10 a.m.on Saturday. The side-by-side was submerged but was still visible under the surface of the water when deputies arrived at the scene.

A passenger in the side-by-side was able to unbuckle his seat belt and managed to open the passenger side door of the vehicle as it broke through the ice.

He managed to escape with the assistance of nearby anglers.

The passenger said he directed the driver, who the sheriff’s office identified as 65-year-old Joseph Demuse of Gladstone, to exit through the passenger side of the ATV.

The man said he thought Demuse was following him out of the vehicle. He said he was safely out of the side-by-side before he realized Demuse had not exited the vehicle.

One of the first officers to arrive on the scene was also a member of the Delta County Sheriff’s Dive Team. He was able to suit up immediately and begin recovering the driver’s body.

Police say Demuse had been fishing in that area daily for about a week.

Officers believe the ice cracked and refroze overnight, creating a thin spot on the surface of the ice that Demuse had previously traveled on and believed to be safe.

Assisting at the scene were Escanaba Public Safety, the Michigan State Police Gladstone Post, Ensign Fire and Ice Rescue, Masonville Fire and Ice Rescue, Gladstone Fire and Ice Rescue, Rampart EMS and divers from the Dickinson County Dive Team.

About two hours after officers were dispatched to the side-by-side, a snowmobile broke through the ice in a different area. The snowmobiler was able to escape without incident.

Delta County Sheriff Ed Oswald warns that snowforecast for the area could further degrade ice conditions. The snow may insulate the already-melting ice from the cold air, preventing it from refreezing. Anglers may not be able to identify thin ice that is covered with snow.