Weather It Matters: Risks of icy social media pictures

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. -- Some might mistake Saint Joseph for Siberia these days. The icy landscape is a quiet contrast to normal noisy waves in the summer.

However, if you listen closely, you’ll hear a crunch of footsteps. Some thrill seekers are following the frozen path of the North and South Piers to experience ice sculptures only Mother Nature can make.

Mitchell Irvine made the two-hour trek to St. Joe after seeing the countless pictures and videos on social media showing the incredible icy works of art.

“Michigan is an absolutely gorgeous place in the winter, Irvine said, “and a lot of people are too afraid to come out and experience it, so I thought I should come out and experience it.”

Irvine said the treks to get his stunning shots were a bit treacherous at times, but he’s glad he made the trips.

“You just got to know your limits, and don't do anything not smart,” Irvine explained.

“I'd do it again in a heartbeat,” Irvine added.

Marc Hopkins is a Lieutenant with the Marine Unit of the Berrien County Sherriff's Office.

He told ABC57News that while he realizes the appeal of seeing the lake-made ice sculptures, he cautioned about the cracks and the shifts in the ice that you can’t see, and that could cause you to fall into Lake Michigan.

“We realize that it's fun, it's something new, get pictures, but it's just not worth your life,” Lt. Hopkins said. “It [tragedy] can happen in an instant, and oftentimes it's going to be too late.”

While tragedy has not struck this year in Saint Joe, in South Haven, emergency crews have responded to two incidents where someone has been rescued from the ice.

Lieutenant Hopkins pleaded with the public to view these wonders of nature on Lake Michigan from a safe location.

“Water and air temperature are going to make it super difficult for us to come as first responders to help rescue you,” Hopkins explained. “It possibly could turn into a recovery and not a rescue.”