Six fall through ice while snowmobiling on Lake Vermilion, sheriff says

Six snowmobilers fell through the ice on a northern Minnesota lake Sunday evening, and five of them had to be hospitalized, authorities said.

Four adults and two children fell into Lake Vermilion in Tower, Minnesota, around 6:20 p.m., the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said. All of them made it out of the water and back onto the ice with help from diners and employees from a nearby restaurant. Five of them were taken to a hospital to be treated for exposure.

The sheriff's office said it "would like to remind those out enjoying recreation on our area lakes to use caution at all times and ride responsibly."

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommends at least 5 inches of ice thickness for snowmobiles.