Ice fatality statistics 1976-2025

Preliminary numbers as of 04/4/2025.

Fatalities by winter season

There has been a total of 272 ice-related fatalities in Minnesota since January of 1976. The table below lists the number of fatalities 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.

Ice Fatality Statistics

Danger sign near a hole in the ice
 
 
Number of fatalities per winter season 1976 – 202525252020151510105500Number of FatalitiesJan-Apr 1976Jan-Apr 19761976-771976-771977-781977-781978-791978-791979-801979-801980-811980-811981-821981-821982-831982-831983-841983-841984-851984-851985-861985-861986-871986-871987-881987-881988-891988-891989-901989-901990-911990-911991-921991-921992-931992-931993-941993-941994-951994-951995-961995-961996-971996-971997-981997-981998-991998-991999-001999-002000-012000-012001-022001-022002-032002-032003-042003-042004-052004-052005-062005-062006-072006-072007-082007-082008-092008-092009-102009-102010-112010-112011-122011-122012-132012-132013-142013-142014-152014-152015-162015-162016-172016-172017-182017-182018-192018-192019-202019-202020-212020-212021-222021-222022-232022-232023-242023-242024-252024-25
Deaths Per Season
Trend Line
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Winter Seasons

Number of Fatalities

Jan-Apr 19766
1976-774
1977-783
1978-793
1979-8016
1980-8116
1981-826
1982-8322
1983-842
1984-856
1985-864
1986-8712
1987-887
1988-893
1989-908
1990-913
1991-925
1992-937
1993-945
1994-954
1995-969
1996-978
1997-987
1998-9910
1999-004
2000-014
2001-025
2002-0310
2003-043
2004-052
2005-062
2006-078
2007-083
2008-092
2009-101
2010-114
2011-124
2012-136
2013-142
2014-155
2015-160
2016-172
2017-186
2018-195
2019-202
2020-213
2021-221
2022-233
2023-246
2024-253
 

Winter
Seasons

Number of
Fatalities

Jan-Apr 19766
1976-774
1977-783
1978-793
1979-8016
1980-8116
1981-826
1982-8322
1983-842
1984-856
1985-864
1986-8712
1987-887
1988-893
1989-908
1990-913
1991-925
 

Winter
Seasons

Number of
Fatalities

1992-937
1993-945
1994-954
1995-969
1996-978
1997-987
1998-9910
1999-004
2000-014
2001-025
2002-0310
2003-043
2004-052
2005-062
2006-078
2007-083
2008-092
 

Winter
Seasons

Number of
Fatalities

2009-101
2010-114
2011-124
2012-136
2013-142
2014-155
2015-160
2016-172
2017-186
2018-195
2019-202
2020-213
2021-221
2022-233
2023-246
2024-253

Average number of deaths per winter season

 
6.06.05.05.04.04.03.03.02.02.01.01.00.00.0Average Deaths Per Season45-year average45-year average35-year average35-year average10-year average10-year average5-year average5-year average
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Number of Seasons

Years

Average Deaths Per Season

45-year average19780/81 - 2024/255.3
35-year average1990/91 - 2024/254.4
10-year average2015/16 - 2024/253.1
5-year average2020/21 - 2024/253.2

Number of deaths per mode of travel

 
Snowmobile or ATV/UTV43.8%Motor vehicle21.7%On foot29.0%Other5.5%1976 - 2025
Snowmobile or ATV/UTV
Motor vehicle
On foot
Other
 
Snowmobile or ATV/UTV43.8%Motor vehicle25.0%On foot18.8%Other12.5%Past Five Seasons (Nov. 2020 – Apr. 2025)
Snowmobile or ATV/UTV
Motor vehicle
On foot
Other
 
 

January 1976 - April 2024

November 2019 – April 2024

Mode of Travel

Number of Deaths

% of Total Deaths

Number of Deaths

% of Total Deaths

Snowmobile or ATV/UTV11943.8%743.8%
Motor vehicle5921.7%425%
On foot7929%318.8%
Other155.5%212.5%

Total

272

100%

16

100%

Fatalities by victim's age

 
January 1976 - April 20255050404030302020101000Number of Victims0-90-910-1910-1920-2920-2930-3930-3940-4940-4950-5950-5960-6960-6970-7970-7980-8980-89UnknownUnknownAge Range (years)
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Age range (years)

Number of victims

% of victims

0-94616.9%
10-193412.5%
20-294717.3%
30-394215.4%
40-49207.4%
50-593011%
60-693111.4%
70-79134.8%
80-8982.9%
Unknown10.4%

Total

272

100%

 
Past Five Seasons (Nov. 2020 – Apr. 2025)4433221100Number of Victims0-90-910-1910-1920-2920-2930-3930-3940-4940-4950-5950-5960-6960-6970-7970-7980-8980-89Age Range (years)
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Age range (years)

Number of victims

% of victims

0-916.3%
10-19318.8%
20-2900%
30-3900%
40-4916.3%
50-59318.8%
60-69425%
70-79212.5%
80-89212.5%

Total

16

100%

Ice-related fatalities: January 1976 – April 2025 (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 County Waterbody Age Accident Type

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