A Michigan grandfather and his 5-year-old granddaughter died Wednesday evening after their utility vehicle broke through ice on a private pond.
Eric Miles, 50, and the young girl were riding a UTV when it fell through the frozen surface in Westphalia, Clinton County officials said, according to WILX News 10. First responders pulled both from the water. Both were rushed to UM Health-Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, where deputies said they succumbed to their wounds, CBS News Detroit reported.
The Clinton County Sheriff’s Department (CCSD) said emergency call was placed at around 5:20 p.m. for the incident. Both victims lived in Portland, Michigan. Authorities have not released the girl’s name. (RELATED: Child Dies In Horrific Sledding Accident)
Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools closed Thursday so the district could mourn, FOX 47 News reported, citing the district superintendent.
Portland resident Michelle Kiter-Dunkel told WILX the small Mid-Michigan community felt the tragedy deeply. “Our community wraps our hearts around them,” Kiter-Dunkel said. “It affects so many people.”
Police were dispatched to the pond Wednesday afternoon after a report that a side-by-side vehicle fell into the pond. https://t.co/UyM1xBLABg
— WILX News 10 (@wilxTV) January 22, 2026
Portland Area Fire Authority Chief Tim Krizov warned residents about the dangers of ice following the deaths. He said falling through ice brings immediate hypothermia risk.
“I mean, you fall in, you do not have much time, especially in the upcoming days when it’s going to be subzero temperatures,” Krizov told WILX.
The fire chief urged anyone planning to fish or drive on ice to drill a hole and determine its thickness first and never take for granted that ice is safe.
“Just use caution out there,” Krizov said.
The CCSD continues to investigate. Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Westphalia Township Fire Department, Portland Fire Department, Michigan State Police and Clinton County Dive Team, according to CBS News Detroit.
