Iron River man dies on unsafe ice

CRYSTAL FALLS — An elderly Iron River man has died after driving an ORV on unsafe ice.

The Iron County Sheriff’s Department says he was Albert Melchiori, 87. His family reported him missing at about 7:30 Central time last night, saying he’d gone fishing on Chicagon Lake and hadn’t returned.

Police found Melchiori’s ice shanty, but neither he nor his ORV were there. The Iron County Search and Rescue Unit searched much of the shoreline in the dark and picked the search back up this morning with help from a Coast Guard helicopter.

The chopper found Melchiori’s ORV and then found his body about 150 yards from the ORV. Officials believe Melchiori became disoriented in heavy fog and drove onto unsafe ice along the shoreline.