20-year-old found dead after not meeting friend at ice-fishing spot, Wisconsin cops say
.jpg "A Wisconsin man overdue to meet a friend for ice fishing was found dead by search and rescue crews, officials say.")
A 20-year-old man has been found dead after a worried friend reported him overdue for an ice-fishing outing, Wisconsin officials say.
The man, a resident of Ashland who officials have not publicly identified, was supposed to join his friend ice fishing on Chequamegon Bay, but he never showed, the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan. 19 news release.
He was reportedly driving to the spot on a snowmobile, officials said. His “last known communication” was at 9:03 p.m. on Jan. 18. Three hours passed without a word so the friend called authorities at 12:16 a.m. and a search was launched, according to officials.
“Members of the U.S. Coast Guard, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Ashland Fire Department, Ashland Police Department, and Ashland County Sheriff’s Office responded and began searching for the subject,” the sheriff’s office said.
The search ended at about 10 a.m. on Jan. 19 when the man’s body was found “in open water,” officials said.
“The incident is currently under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office.”
Ashland is a roughly 200-mile drive northeast from Minneapolis.
This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 7:15 AM with the headline "20-year-old found dead after not meeting friend at ice-fishing spot, Wisconsin cops say."