Ice Dunes Form at Presque Isle - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

The high winds, snow and bitter cold in recent days has led to the formation of ice dunes along Presque Isle's Lake Erie shoreline.

 And park managers and rangers are warning visitors the dunes are dangerous. The danger comes from the fact that many of the dunes are actually hollow. And they are located not on top of the sand, but over the frigid water of Lake Erie.

 So a fall through into the cold water on a bitter cold day like today, would almost certainly mean hypothermia. And trying to get help would be difficult.

 Assistant Park Manager Jeremy Rekich said, "There are a couple of things you have to keep in mind. Especially on a windy day, even if you yelled for help it is hard to hear. It is very deafening with all the wind and crashing waves. The other thing is it is very slippery, especially if you get wet on top of that ice, it actually gets slick. So we don't want you out there on the dunes at all."

A fall is just one potential danger. A few years ago, a woman was on a dune at Presque Isle, when part of it broke off and floated out into the lake. Luckily she was rescued.