82-year-old man on ATV plunges through frozen lake and dies, Vermont officials say

An 82-year-old man died after he fell through the ice of a frozen lake while driving an ATV in Vermont, officials said.

State Police responded March 27 to reports that a man fell through the ice “several hundred feet offshore,” according to a news release by officials.

Donald P. “Jonesy” Jones of Richmond, Vermont, was driving an ATV over Lake Champlain when he fell through the ice, according to WCAX. He was in the upper section of the lake, near the border with Canada.

Rescuers and personnel with Swanton Village Fire Department were able to pull Jones out of the water 30 minutes after they were called, according to the release.

Jones was transported to Northwestern Medical Center where he died later that evening, according to Saint Albans Messenger.

In February, three men died after falling through Lake Champlain’s ice while on a fishing trip, McClatchy News reported.

“Even on inland waters that may have better ice conditions, we urge caution while temperatures remain high,” Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Commissioner Christopher Herrick said in a February press release. “That bears repeating: stay off Lake Champlain and be conservative about venturing onto other waters.”

Lake Champlain mostly flows between New York and Vermont and is one of the largest lakes in North America, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

This story was originally published March 28, 2023 at 12:48 PM with the headline "82-year-old man on ATV plunges through frozen lake and dies, Vermont officials say."