18-year-old dies when ATV goes through ice, Minnesota cops say. ‘Bright young man’

A 20-year-old man was rescued from icy water following an ATV accident, but authorities later found the body of his 18-year-old co-rider, Minnesota deputies say.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said the two men were riding an ATV the evening of Monday, Dec. 9, when it fell through the ice on Blackwater Lake.

Authorities used “911 mapping technology” to determine the location of the ATV riders, the sheriff’s office said. The first responders found the 20-year-old, who was pulled from the water.

The 20-year-old was treated for “exposure and hypothermia” and flown to a St. Cloud hospital, according to a news release.

It wasn’t until the following afternoon when the body of the 18-year-old was discovered, the sheriff’s office said. His body was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

He was identified by Valley News Live and Bring Me The News as Blake Herman, of Longville.

According to his obituary, Herman had an “infectious” zest for life and “brought joy and light to everyone fortunate enough to know him.”

“Blake was a bright young man with a kind heart and an infectious smile,” family members said in a GoFundMe. “He touched the lives of everyone he met, and his loss leaves a hole that can never be filled.”

Longville is about a 180-mile drive northwest from Minneapolis.

This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 12:14 PM with the headline "18-year-old dies when ATV goes through ice, Minnesota cops say. ‘Bright young man’."