Authorities recovered the bodies of two individuals after their side-by-side utility vehicle fell through the ice at Glendo Reservoir in Platte County, Wyoming, on Saturday.
The incident prompted a multi-agency response and a delayed recovery effort due to hazardous conditions.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office received a report at 9:56 a.m. Saturday about a UTV that had fallen through the ice near the Marina Boat Ramp. Multiple agencies responded, including the Platte and Albany County Sheriff’s Offices, Glendo Volunteer Fire Department and EMS, Wyoming Park Rangers, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Camp Guernsey Fire, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
By 5 p.m., the Albany County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team arrived at the scene to assess conditions. However, due to adverse weather and unsafe ice, divers determined it was too dangerous to conduct a recovery operation that evening.
With improved conditions on Sunday morning, the dive team entered the water and successfully located both victims and the vehicle. The UTV had fallen through a patch of thin ice only four inches thick, according to Glendo Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dave Noyce.
“The warm weather we had a week ago thinned the ice in places, and then it refroze,” Noyce explained. “A lot of the ice was 10 to 12 inches thick, but the vehicle went through a pocket of thin ice, which are very prevalent around Glendo, especially near the shore.”
The Platte County Coroner’s Office has identified the victims and notified their families. One of the individuals was 71-year-old Beulah resident Bill Pridgeon, confirmed by his brother, Hank Pridgeon.
“Those first responders are heroes,” Pridgeon said. “Thank you for your service in the bitter cold.”
The second victim’s identity has not yet been publicly released.
Authorities are urging the public to use extreme caution on frozen bodies of water, as ice conditions remain unpredictable and potentially hazardous.
“You can’t assume the ice is uniformly thick on a body of water like that,” Noyce warned.
Following the incident, officials strongly advised against accessing the ice from the Marina Boat Ramp, Shelter Point, and Marina Boat Dock at Glendo Reservoir, as a large channel was cut during the recovery operation, further compromising ice stability.
The Albany County Sheriff’s Office released a statement expressing their condolences:
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of those who lost their lives during this difficult time.”
With input from East Idaho News, Cowboy State Daily, K2 Radio, and the Cheyenne Post.
