WINNEBAGO COUNTY (WITI) -- A 40-year-old man from Sussex and his eight-year-old son have died after their Jeep went through the ice on Lake Winnebago Sunday morning, January 25th. They have been identified as Andrew Doro, and his son, Derek Doro.
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department says an ATV rider called in around 6:52 a.m. Sunday. The caller reported seeing a Jeep go through the ice about two miles east of Oshkosh’s Merritt Street boat landing, but didn’t see anyone exit the vehicle.
“They reported that they didn’t see anybody come out of the vehicle, and tried to make attempts to get up onto the ice,” Winnebago County Sheriff’s Lt. Gordon Ledioyt said.
Rescue and dive teams were called to an area about two-and-a-half miles from shore. Those teams searched and were able to pull two occupants from the vehicle.
“Oshkosh Fire Department went out, was able to locate where the vehicle had gone through the ice. Some divers went into the water and pulled two people out of the water,” Lt. Ledioyt said.
Authorities say 40-year-old Andrew Doro and his eight-year-old son Derek were the only two in the Jeep. They were hospitalized. Andrew Doro was pronounced dead at the hospital. Derek Doro died later at the hospital.
Investigators say the Jeep fell through near a 10-inch-wide crack in the ice that stretched for three miles. That crack runs along a tree line, which is meant to guide travelers.
“It’s happened a few times. It’s just unfortunate that someone, we had a fatality. It’s very unfortunate. If he was driving across the crack instead of parallel to it, nothing would have happened. Driving parallel with a crack, chunks broke off, and the truck went in. Where he went in, it was 14 inches of ice, because I measured it,” Don Herman with the Otter Street Fishing Club said.
Herman says recent warm temperatures and wind can drastically change conditions on a lake.
“It will open cracks that weren’t there before, that were froze shut. It will open them, and it will shut some that were open,” David Buskirk of Oshkosh said.
“You don’t want to see anybody get hurt out there. Everyone comes out here with their kids and stuff. They go out and do some fishing, you know, and enjoy themselves. Just got to be careful out there. That’s all there’s to it,” Gary Buskirk of Oshkosh said.
Winnebago County Sheriff’s officials say this year is the first they’ve been called out to Lake Winnebago for an ice rescue.