Preliminary numbers as of 08/19/2026.
Fatalities by winter season
During the past 50 years, 275 people have lost their lives falling through the ice in Minnesota. There has been a substantial annual decline in the number of ice-related fatalities in Minnesota since 22 people died in 1982-1983 but even one life lost is too many. Ice fatalities are recorded by winter season (November through April), apart from the first season which is only January through April 1976 because we do not have data from 1975.
|
Winter Seasons |
Number of Fatalities |
|---|
|
Winter |
Number of |
|---|
|
Winter |
Number of |
|---|
|
Winter |
Number of |
|---|
Average number of deaths per winter season
|
Number of Seasons |
Years |
Average Deaths Per Season |
|---|
Number of deaths per mode of travel
|
January 1976 - April 2024 |
February 2021 – February 2026 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mode of Travel |
Number of Deaths |
% of Total Deaths |
Number of Deaths |
% of Total Deaths |
|
Total |
275 |
100% |
21 |
100% |
Fatalities by victim's age
|
Age range (years) |
Number of victims |
% of victims |
|---|---|---|
|
Total |
272 |
100% |
|
Age range (years) |
Number of victims |
% of victims |
|---|---|---|
|
Total |
16 |
100% |
Ice-related fatalities: January 1976 – February 2026 (by calendar year)
The table below includes key information about every ice-related fatality in Minnesota beginning in January 1976. Although it is commonly misunderstood, research shows that most through-the-ice fatalities are due to drowning – not hypothermia. Since 1976, there have been 269 ice-related fatalities, and only 5 have been a result of hypothermia (noted below under “accident type”).
| Date | Sort date | County | Waterbody | Age | Accident Type |
|---|