Two Wyoming men die when UTV slips through ice at Glendo Reservoir

DOUGLAS (WNE) — The bodies of two people who fell through the ice at Glendo Reservoir Saturday were recovered by dive teams Sunday.

The two men, whose names had not been released officially as of Monday, were in an utility vehicle (UTV) when it hit a patch of thinning ice and became submerged.

The Platte County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 9:56 a.m. Feb. 15 with a report of a side-by-side vehicle that had gone through the 12-inch-thick ice. The vehicle was reported to have gone through the ice at around 8:30 a.m.

Spots of broken ice around the scene complicating rescue efforts, the PCSO said.

Multiple agencies responded, and the Platte County Sheriff’s rescue team immediately began search efforts at the suspected location near Glendo Marina boat ramp. A dive team arrived at around 5 p.m. Saturday. An underwater live scope was deployed to help locate the submerged vehicle, but recovery efforts were suspended until the following morning due to the declining temperature and light.

Both the vehicle and the bodies of the two men were located and recovered Sunday afternoon.

While PCSO officials didn’t release the names of the men, families of the men posted information on social media. Hank Pridgeon said his brother, 71-year-old Bill Pridgeon of Beulah, was one of the men.

He praised the first responders and dive team as “heroes” for braving the frigid temps and water.”

The name of the second man has not been confirmed.

Glendo and sheriff’s office personnel said the ice at Glendo can be unsafe and unpredictable, so anyone traveling on it should use extreme caution.

This story was published on February 19, 2025