Ice succumbs to front-loader's weight

CROOKSTON, Minn., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A Polk County, Minn., worker was sent home Tuesday after the front-end loader he was driving on frozen Red Lake River fell through the ice.

Witnesses said Mike Raymond apparently was trying to clear snow around his ice-fishing house when the ice gave way, the Crookston (Minn.) Times reported.

Problem was, he wasn't supposed to take the loader on the ice.

Raymond escaped injury and was "sent home" after Tuesday's incident, Polk County Highway Engineer Rich Sanders told the Crookston Times. Sanders didn't elaborate about the situation or any punishment.

Raymond was clearing snow from county-owned lots in town and detoured to a public boat launch, where he planned to clear snow from around his ice-fishing house when the ice gave way, the newspaper said.

Lots of heavy equipment were hooked together to heave the front loader from its watery abode. It was still idling when it was pulled from the river, the newspaper said, but any damage was unknown.