The man, 58-year-old Troy Allen Krenz, fell into Cannon Lake in Faribault earlier this month. Loved ones went searching for him and found his body floating in the lake.

A Minnesota ice fisherman who died in early March was on an all-terrain vehicle when it fell through the ice, according to a medical examiner’s report obtained by USA TODAY on Thursday.

The man, 58-year-old Troy Allen Krenz, fell into Cannon Lake in Faribault, the Rice County Sheriff’s Office previously said in a news release. 

He was on an ATV when it fell through the ice, sending him into the water, according to a report from the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.

The sheriff’s office initially described his death as a “drowning incident,” but the medical examiner’s office said this week that he died from hypothermia and cold water immersion.

According to the report, Krenz was wearing a hat when he fell into the water, as well as a facemask, a mitten, a lifejacket, two shirts, jeans, long underwear, socks, and boots with snow grips.

Man was reported missing before he was found and identified

According to the sheriff’s office, Krenz went fishing around 4:30 p.m. on March 4 but didn’t make it home. Family and friends then began to search for him.

Loved ones found his body floating in the lake at 10 a.m. the next day on March 5, the sheriff’s office said. They called authorities and multiple agencies showed up to help, including the Faribault Fire Department and the sheriff’s office.

The agencies used cold water suits to get into the open water and pull Krenz out of the water.

The sheriff’s office said previously that Rice County was under a blizzard warning from 9 p.m. March 4 to 3 p.m. March 5. There was also an expected 7 to 9 inches of snow and winds above 40 miles per hour at the time.

Read more: Ice fisherman who went missing during blizzard warning found dead at Minnesota lake

What is hypothermia, and how can I protect myself?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hypothermia occurs when a person is exposed to very cold temperatures for a long period of time. This causes the body to lose heat faster than it is produced.

According to the CDC, too much exposure uses up the body’s stored energy, which can lead to lower body temperature.

Low body temperature can lead to more issues, including negative impacts on the brain that make it harder for a victim to think clearly and control their body movements. 

“This makes hypothermia especially dangerous, because a person may not know that it’s happening and won’t be able to do anything about it,” the CDC said on its website.

Warning signs of hypothermia in adults include:

• Shivering
• Exhaustion or feeling very tired
• Confusion
• Fumbling hands
• Memory loss
• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness

Safety tips for ice fishing

Dr. Jamie Harker of the Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital in Minnesota previously shared tips online about ice safety. One thing Harker stressed is to remember that “ice is never safe.”

Harker said that to safely walk on ice, people need at least 4 inches of it. Those on ATVs or snowmobiles need 5 to 6 inches of ice, while those on larger vehicles need 15 inches.

“Hypothermia is certainly a risk, so make sure you have notified somebody that you trust that that can check on you and make sure that you’re you are warming up,” Harker wrote on the hospital’s website.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said on its website that ice fishermen should try to carry ice picks to help pull themselves out of freezing water if they should fall in.

The agency said snowmobiles are the smallest motorized vehicles typically out on the ice and they tend to be the safest options for those driving on the ice. However, it’s still possible for people to break through the ice and on average, there are about two fatal accidents each year on a snowmobile or ATV.

In the event that someone falls through the ice, the Department of Natural Resources suggests doing the following:

1. Leave winter clothing on. Heavier clothes won’t drag you down. Instead, they can trap air and provide warmth and flotation (especially snowmobile suits).
2. Turn towards the direction you came. The ice is likely the strongest there.
3. Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface. If you have nails, sharpened screwdrivers or ice picks on hand, they can give you extra traction to pull yourself up onto the ice.
4. Kick your feet and dig in your ice picks to work your way back onto solid ice. 
5. If your clothes have trapped lots of water, lift yourself partially out of the water on your elbows to drain some of the water before moving forward.
6. Once you are out of the water, lie flat on the ice and roll away from the hole to keep your weight spread out. This may stop you from breaking through the ice a second time.
7. Get to a warm, dry, sheltered area immediately.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.