CHINA -- Game wardens and local rescue personnel hauled two submerged snowmobiles from China Lake on Sunday after the sleds plunged into the icy water on Saturday.

Deborah Turcotte, acting spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife confirmed Monday that there was a snowmobile mishap, but was unable to reach the game wardens, who were off duty Monday, to get the full story.

Belinda Winn who works at the China Village General Store said two sleds had broken through the ice and gone into the water, but she didn't think anyone was injured.

"They retrieved them on Sunday," Winn said. "They were right on the causeway by China Baptist Church."

Winn said the water always is open in the area of the causeway because of the currents.

"It's open water there; they were right by the edge," Winn said.

The Associated Press also reported Monday that two snowmobiles were fished out of a lake in southern Maine.

The Maine Warden Service said Sunday that two snowmobiles that crashed through the ice into a lake in Limerick were stolen.

Wardens were called to Lake Arrowhead on Saturday afternoon by a person who found two snowmobiles sticking up through some broken-up ice on the lake.

Officials saw two sets of footprints leaving the area, but called for divers and an airboat to search the lake Sunday morning.

Wardens determined that no one was under water, and now say that the snowmobiles are believed to have been stolen. The sleds remain tied together at the bottom of the lake.

Doug Harlow -- 861-9244

dharlow@centralmaine.com