Warning – Video Shows the Dangers of Walking on Michigan’s Snow Shelves

How many times have you seen someone walking across snow shelves near the shore of many of Michigan's lakes and thought to yourself, 'That person is going to fall through'? It's kind of freaky because it seriously could happen.

It stresses me out every time I see someone doing this because you have absolutely no idea how thick the snow shelf is, and it could collapse at any moment, dropping you into the freezing water below. The risk just isn’t worth it.

A snow shelf or ice shelf is a buildup of snow and ice that sticks out over the edge of a lake. It might look solid, but it’s actually super unstable and can collapse without warning.

Shannon Kivi with 906 Images recently headed out to the shores of Lake Superior in Marquette and gave us a rare look at what it’s like underneath one of these dangerous snow and ice shelves.

See Also: These Lake Superior Photos Show Just How Powerful She Really Is

In the video below, you can see just how thin parts of the shelf are and how easily someone could fall through into the freezing water. It’s a chilling reminder of why you should never walk on one of these shelves.

The Beautiful but Dangerous Lake Superior shoreline! This is why you don't walk on the ice and snow shelves along Lake Superior...you can see how hollow and thin they can be!!