A north Iowa snowmobiler came out safe, but his sled is still underwater.
The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office says they received a report of a snowmobiler that went through an aerator opening on Clear Lake on Wednesday night shortly before 7 p.m. A search by deputies, the Clear Lake and Ventura fire departments, Clear Lake police and the Iowa DNR. led to the discovery of a snowmobiler, 38-year-old David Mapes of Urbandale, who was unfamiliar with the lake.
Mapes was able to rescue himself from the frigid water before authorities arrived and got to shore. Clear Lake paramedics transported him to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City for possible hypothermia. No other injuries were reported.
The snowmobile is still in the lake and will be removed at a later date. The Iowa DNR is continuing the investigation.
