A Toad Lake Township, Minnesota, man died after he fell through the frozen surface of a local lake while ice fishing.

The victim, unnamed by authorities, had left his residence Friday on an all-terrain vehicle to go to his fish house on nearby Big Toad Lake, the Becker County Sheriff’s Office explained in a release posted on Facebook.

When he didn’t return hours later or respond to calls and texts, his wife called his brother, who went out and found a crack in the ice with open water. The victim’s wife then contacted the sheriff’s office at 2:05 a.m. Saturday.

Deputies and personnel from local fire departments took an airboat onto the lake, finding the missing man and the ATV 4 to 5 feet underwater at 3:22 a.m.

The man was taken to an ambulance, where he was declared dead. Law enforcement didn’t specify what caused his death. His identity was withheld pending notification of his loved ones.

Residents are urged to exercise discretion when going onto ice.

“Lake ice is never 100% safe,” Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander told Detroit Lakes (Minnesota) Tribune.

Earlier this month, two men and a dog were rescued from a lake in Nowthen, Minnesota, after falling through the ice.

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