For the Tomahawk Leader

TOWN OF LINCOLN – A Tomahawk man died after the snowmobile he was operating broke through the ice on a lake in Vilas County on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

According to the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call was received at 6:51 p.m. reporting a snowmobile and its operator had broken through the ice on Catfish Lake in the Town of Lincoln.

“Upon arrival of emergency services, it was reported the snowmobile operator had left the marked trail and drove to an area of the lake where there is a large area of thin ice and open water,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a release. “A search was conducted in this area, and emergency rescue personnel were able to locate the operator under water and unresponsive.”

The snowmobile operator, Gregory Parkinson, 40, of Tomahawk, was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead after unsuccessful lifesaving efforts.

The Eagle River Fire Department, Eagle River Ambulance, and the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident.