A Volkswagen Passat recovered Sunday from Lake Sudalezers in Lejasciema has been identified as belonging to Davids Uisks, a first-term member of the Gulbene district council. The vehicle’s recovery has prompted renewed debate over safety regulations concerning travel on frozen lakes in Latvia,notably as fluctuating temperatures continue to challenge ice stability across the region. While authorities have issued warnings, municipalities in the Gulbene and Alūksne districts currently lack formal bans on accessing the ice, raising questions about preventative measures and potential enforcement.
A car recovered from a lake in Lejasciema belongs to a local politician, Davids Uisks, who is serving his first term in office.
Authorities on Sunday, January 18, pulled a Volkswagen Passat from Lake Sudalezers in Lejasciema, according to reports. More details about the recovery are available here. The incident has prompted discussion about safety regulations regarding travel on frozen bodies of water.
“It’s unfortunate this happened,” said Valtis Krauklis, a fellow Gulbene district council member. The lake is owned by the state and situated within the territories of both Gulbene and Alūksne districts. The event has renewed focus on the need for increased monitoring of ice conditions on local lakes.
“I support providing recreational opportunities for young people in rural areas, as there aren’t many options available,” stated Gulbene district deputy Intars Liepiņš. “People are driving on the ice and will continue to do so. Perhaps the municipality should designate areas where it’s permitted and then enforce those rules.”
Both the Gulbene and Alūksne municipalities have issued public appeals urging residents to stay off unstable ice in January. “Other municipalities in Latvia have prohibited access to the ice on certain bodies of water. We do not currently have such a ban,” confirmed Mārtiņš Didrihsons-Linards, chief of the Gulbene district municipal police.
This means that the Gulbene and Alūksne district municipalities have not utilized the authority granted by the Land Management Law, which allows them to prohibit access to the ice of inland public waters and coastal waters within their administrative territories in areas where life and health may be endangered.
When assessing the potential threat to life and health, authorities consider the intensity of gatherings, weather conditions, meteorological forecasts, and the likelihood of insufficient ice formation.
Municipalities can announce such a decision and publish it on their websites. Had both municipalities established a ban on driving on Lake Sudalezers, the vehicle owner could have faced an administrative fine. A warning or a fine of up to 20 penalty units (100 euros) can be imposed for being on the ice of an inland public water body or coastal water body when prohibited by regulations.
Lake Sudalezers is located in the Lejasciema and Zeltiņi parishes and is listed as a public lake under the Civil Law. Exploitation regulations for Lake Sudalezers were developed in 2020 by the Institute for Environmental Solutions, with funding from the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund.
Legal and natural persons located in or conducting any activity in the Sudalezers area and its coastal zone are responsible for its use. Oversight is provided by the Gulbene district municipality and the ALJA agency of the Alūksne district municipality. State environmental control over compliance with the exploitation regulations is carried out by the Vidzeme Regional Environmental Board of the State Environmental Service.
