Christmas Trees Warn Snowmobilers of Thin Ice at Death Site

A group of friends in Maine are placing old Christmas trees in the ice Messalonskee Lake in the hopes of preventing another accident similar to one that killed a Massachusetts man.

Fifty-two-year-old Richard Dumont of North Attleboro was riding on a snowmobile on Messalonskee Lake when he plunged into frigid waters on Jan. 7. He was later pulled from the water and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Smithfield resident Todd Jackson is leading a drive to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The Morning Sentinel reports he and friends have sunk 15 trees in the lake's ice just short of where it becomes open water to warn people of where the safe ice ends.

Hazard signs are also going up at the lake.   — OAKLAND, Maine (AP)