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Buick half-submerged in White Bear Lake is removed by towing company

A white 2008 Buick has been stuck frozen in White Bear Lake for nearly a month.

On Sunday morning, the car was no longer covered in snow, and a square was cut out in the ice around it. The Buick was half-submerged in icy water and its rear bumper was still visible.

Tow straps were tied from the bumper to a white pickup truck. 

John Kisling, a nearby resident who likes to ice fish on the lake, went to check the car out after watching a dozen people try to get it out of the ice over the weekend. 

“It’s foolish to be out here and lose your car when everybody knows you got to check the ice and you don’t even drive in this area,” he said, pointing to multiple signs near the car that said “Thin Ice.”

“Lack of common sense is why you see that.”

The car has been the center of viral social media posts in the last few weeks. One Instagram post by the account 

 received one million views. Urban Ice Anglers is a local program that teaches youth how to ice fish.

“Someone here drove over this pressure ridge and has left their car in the ice,” the man in the video says. “Now that’s going to come with a fine and some pollution issues and wrecking fees, but that is not something we want to leave behind in the watershed.”

According to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the car has been stuck since Jan. 27 — when they first got a call about it. Videos of the car went viral on social media last week, showing the car’s rear bumper poking out of the lake, covered in snow.

Deputies said the 41-year-old owner of the Buick told them he was driving across the lake when his front wheels broke through the ice and water started coming through the floorboards.

The owner was able to get out of the car, which sank into the lake.

“He was advised that the 2008 Buick Lucerne would need to be removed or he would face fines,” said Steve Linders, a Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. “He told deputies he would remove the vehicle. That hasn’t happened as of yet.”

The owner has until later this week to remove his car or he will face fines, according to the sheriff’s office.

But it may become more challenging to get the car out as warmer weather this week starts turning snow and ice on the lake into slush; temperatures in the Twin Cities climbed into the 50s on Monday.

Nicole Ki

Author

A white 2008 Buick has been half-submerged in White Bear Lake for almost a month. The owner faces fines if the car isn’t removed in a few days. 

The rear end of a white car sticks out of the ice.

Sheriff: Owner of Buick half-submerged in White Bear Lake has a few days to remove it

Go Deeper.

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