The Door County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents to be careful when traveling on the ice. A pickup truck was partially submerged after it went through the ice in an area of Sawyer Harbor, off Potawatomi State Park. The driver, 18-year old Matthew Wiegand and his passenger, 18-year old Collin Mirkes, both of Sturgeon Bay, were able to get out of the vehicle without injury. However, Mirkes sustained a head injury when he fell on the ice. Wiegand said the water was only about four or five feet deep in the area where his vehicle was partially submerged on the passenger side, about 200 yards north of the park boat launch and 50 yards off shore. He told the investigating officer that he was pulling an empty four by eight trailer behind the truck when the passenger side broke through. The Southern Door Fire Department was contacted, along with the DNR. Typically, an individual has 30 days to remove a vehicle that has gone into the water. However, in this case, the 2003 Chevrolet pickup is expected to be removed within a day or so.
