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Thin ice claims snowmobiler's life in Delta County

A photo of the area where the rescue happened and the route first responders took. Extra caution should be taken in the circled yellow area due to broken ice from the airboat.
Delta County Sheriff's Office
A photo of the area where the rescue happened and the route first responders took. Extra caution should be taken in the circled yellow area due to broken ice from the airboat.

ESCANABA, MI— A South Carolina man died when his snowmobile went through the ice on Little Bay de Noc Sunday.

Around 8:43 p.m., the Delta County Sheriff’s Office was notified that multiple people had fallen through the ice on their snowmobiles and were in the water. Responders located them about a mile from the Days River.

Two out of the six people in the group did not fall through and were able to pull a couple of the subjects out of the water. First responders rescued the others. One of the victims, James Massey Jr., 44, of South Carolina was unresponsive. All were taken to OSF St. Francis hospital for treatment. Massey was later pronounced dead.

Deputies were called to another ice rescue call on Saturday.

At about 6:25 a.m., dispatch said a 4-wheeler had broken through the ice on the bay and the riders were in the water.

Both subjects got themselves out of the water and made it back to shore. They declined medical treatment.

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.