Local racing team’s trailers go through the ice at Detroit Lakes

Ken Johnston
Editor

A lack of deep freezing weather this winter has left poor ice conditions on just about every major body of water in the region and Detroit Lakes, Minnesota is no exception where 11 snowmobile racing trailers went through the ice early Saturday morning.

Darren Lowes of Rainy River was there as part of a racing team from Fort Frances that features his cousin Brent Lowes and Chuck and Steve Arpin all of Fort Frances.

Darren said that there was a loud cracking boom in the middle of the night and he immediately jumped out of his hotel room bed, which was about 100 yards from the area of the Big Detroit Lake where some 16 trailers were parked close together. A phone call a short time later had him in disbelief when he was told his trailer had gone through the ice. “At first I thought it was a prank call.”

However not long later he was down at the site helping to fish two snowmobiles out of the Arpin trailer which was parked right next to Lowes. Fortunately the back wheels of the trailers were still hung up on the ice and the two sleds in Arpin’s trailer were not submerged. At 5:30 a.m. they were rescued from the trailer. Unfortunately there was a 600 Polaris machine that did get wet in Lowes’ trailer. By by Sunday they had dried it out and were testing with it.

Darren said that eleven trailers in all went through the ice in about 8 feet of water. His trailer made the national news, being featured on television stations and major newspapers Sunday. He said that his was one of the first to be pulled out.

As for the damage Darren said that he was covered. In fact he called Friday before he left to make sure he had the coverage. “I looked at the conditions of the Rainy River and said they (Detroit Lakes) are about 4 hours south and must have worse conditions than here.”

According to Lowes all the proper permits for the event were obtained from the Department of Natural Resources and that there was about 14 inches of ice. “There was enough ice, it was just one of those freak things that happens,” said Lowes.

No one was hurt and that day the races went on about 100 yards away while

crews worked to extract the trailers. One person, a Roseau man, was sleeping in his trailer when he heard the kaboom and scurried out to safety at about 4:30 a.m.

Lowes said that they had parked there many times before and never had a problem. While he does not race anymore the team will not be spooked by the incident and plans to continue there racing schedule with the World Snowmobile Association Pro Ice circuit.