Sedan Stuck in Frozen Minnesota Lake Goes Viral: ‘Not Something You See Everyday’

Social media users wonder if a body is trapped in the submerged vehicle

Feb 25, 2025 - 03:12
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Sedan Stuck in Frozen Minnesota Lake Goes Viral: ‘Not Something You See Everyday’

Social media users wonder if a body is trapped in the submerged vehicle

WCCO - CBS Minnesota/YouTube Car stuck in White Bear Lake in Minnesota

WCCO - CBS Minnesota/YouTube Car stuck in White Bear Lake in Minnesota

A car submerged in frozen White Bear Lake is raising eyebrows in Minnesota.

Residents may be used to seeing cold temperatures turn lakes frozen, but a single sedan sinking in the center is a new sight. 

Related: Dog Gets Private Canoe Ride Across Frozen Lake After Falling Through Ice into Frigid Water

“It’s definitely not something you see every day in Minnesota,” Karl Erickson, organizer of the Urban Ice Anglers, a group founded to help foster a passion for fishing among young people, told the Minnesota Star Tribune on Feb. 20. 

The 2008 Buick Lucerne that has called White Bear Lake its home for nearly a month has gone viral since Erickson began posting photos and videos of it on social media.

“People on the internet love making memes and weird stuff and I thought, 'How about make a meme to raise awareness for the nonprofit [and ice safety]?’ ” Erickson told the outlet.

"I put it on Instagram, and it just went nuts, like a million views," Erickson told CBS News affiliate WCCO. "The reaction on social media's just been all over the place, 'Oh there's a dead body in there.' "

Fans far and wide can rest assured that there’s no dead body trapped in the car.

Related: Workers Rescue Dog from a Frozen Lake and Rush It to the Vet — Only to Find Out It's a Wolf!

A 41-year-old resident accidentally crashed his car through the ice, Ramsey County sheriff's deputies said on Jan. 27, reports the Star Tribune. The man only has a few days left to remove it before a 30-day deadline expires and promised to do so, but weather conditions have made the task more challenging. 

According to Erickson, the submerged car provides a safe haven for fish seeking shelter from predators, which has given his students the perfect opportunity to catch them.

In a video shared to the Urban Ice Anglers Instagram account last week, students can be seen sitting in a tent placed over the car. Holes have been drilled in the ice, and their rods have successfully caught fish. 

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“John catching a fish for the first time on a sunken @buickusa