A Westmoreland County man died over the weekend when the UTV he was riding broke through the ice at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland, according to Maryland Natural Resources Police.
On Saturday, at about 5:34 p.m., emergency workers were dispatched to the lake near the Glendale Road Bridge when the vehicle broke through the ice and crashed into the water.
The driver, a 59-year-old guy, was already out of the water when crews arrived. He was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police stated the vehicle’s passenger, David Theodore Linsenbigler, 58, of Greensburg, was discovered submerged in the water with the UTV. He was transferred to a nearby hospital, where he eventually died on Sunday.
“We remind individuals to use extreme caution when operating on the frozen lake surface within the Deep Creek Lake Natural Resources Management Area. The lake surface may only be used by registered snowmobiles; UTVs/ATVs may not legally operate on the frozen lake surface. Operators should carefully evaluate ice conditions, especially in the area of bridge crossings where road salt and other debris can cause fluctuations in ice thickness,” A spokesperson for Maryland Natural Resources Police said in a statement.