WESTPHALIA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Two people, including a child, died Wednesday evening after falling through the ice on a private pond in Clinton County, according to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched at approximately 5:20 p.m. on January 21, 2026, to a report of two individuals who had broken through ice on a pond in the 9000 block of Clintonia Road.
Investigators determined that a UTV occupied by two Portland-area residents broke through the ice while on the pond. Both individuals were pulled from the water and transported to U-M Sparrow Hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
Authorities identified one victim as 50-year-old Eric Miles of Portland. The second victim was a 5-year-old female, also from the Portland area. Officials stated the child’s name will not be released.
Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including Westphalia Township Fire Department, Portland Fire Department, Portland Police Department, DeWitt Township Police, Portland Ambulance, Michigan State Police, Clinton County Central Dispatch, and Capital Area Dive Teams.
The incident remains under investigation.
Officials are reminding the public that ice conditions can vary significantly, even during periods of cold weather, and that vehicles — including UTVs — pose a significant risk when traveling on frozen bodies of water.
