Northern Idaho woman dies after falling through ice on lake

HARRISON, Idaho (AP) - Authorities say a northern Idaho woman died Tuesday after falling through the ice on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office says emergency workers received a report Tuesday afternoon that someone had gone onto the ice, likely to rescue a dog or another animal, and fell through. Witnesses used a canoe and ropes to try to rescue the woman, but were unsuccessful. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office dive team pulled 77-year-old Leslie G. Daniels from the water a short time later. Daniels was unconscious and could not be revived.

Daniels, who was from the Harrison area, is the second person to die after breaking through the ice in the past three weeks. On Jan. 29, 60-year-old Dale G. Renfro of Spokane Valley, Washington died in Blue Lake. Renfro's family reported that he was an avid fisherman and was likely attempting to ice fish when he fell through.

Officials with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office say that the snow and fluctuating temperatures means ice on local lakes can become thin. The sheriff's office advices people to call law enforcement for help if an animal falls through the ice or is trapped on the ice rather than to try to rescue it themselves.