Terror as Ice Sheet Breaks Away in US Lake, Taking Over 100 People With It
In a potentially terrifying lesson about the need for civilians to listen to warnings about weather conditions, over 100 fishermen are safe thanks to the quick actions of first responders in Minnesota after a sheet of ice broke loose on a lake.
According to the CBS News, the incident occurred just before 5 p.m. Friday on Upper Red Lake — a popular fishing spot in Beltrami County, roughly 60 miles south of the Canadian border.
While no injuries were reported, four individuals fell into the frigid water during rescue attempts before authorities arrived.
“Before emergency responders arrived on scene, bystander attempts via a canoe to evacuate were attempted,” Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs said in a statement published by KQDS-TV in Duluth.
“Four individuals fell into the open water during this attempt. They were brought back to the ice floe to warm in a fishing shelter.”
Those four were evacuated at roughly 6:40 p.m., the statement said. An hour later, first responders decided the remainder of the people on the floe would have to be rescued, resulting in 122 individuals being evacuated.
🚨#WATCH: Rescue operation underway for dozens of fishermen stranded on Minnesota ice floe.
75 to 100 people were stranded on the ice floe in Upper Red Lake after it broke apart from the main ice.#Minnesota #IceFloe #RedLake #Rescue pic.twitter.com/ubLOIUgWdx
— upuknews (@upuknews1) December 30, 2023
The rescue also came one day after officials in Beltrami County warned that the ice there wasn’t thick enough for fishing as of yet.
“Most years, the ice would be thick enough by now for vehicles and wheelhouses, and we’d be seeing a steady procession of them heading north,” Sheriff Riggs said in the statement.
“But this year isn’t ‘most years,’ and the ice is changing constantl. It’s absolutely vital that anyone who heads out checks the thickness frequently, pays close attention to the weather, and has a plan in case the worst happens and they wind up in the water.”
The statement, released via social media, added that fishermen had to be rescued from Upper Red Lake three times since Dec. 17. That day, according to Minneapolis’ WCCO-TV, “approximately 40-50 people [who] became stranded on ice that broke away from the shore after strong winds caused the ice to shift.”
Another of these rescues took place Saturday, involving two men who fell through the ice after their ATV plunged through the ice.
“At 8:05am the two had arrived back at the resort where first responders met them. Despite being wet and cold there were no injuries and other first responders were cancelled by Kelliher Fire and Rescue. Arrangements have been made to remove the ATV as soon as the ice strengthens,” the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“Recent rain and prolonged above freezing temperatures have caused ice conditions to deteriorate. There are many ice houses across the region that are falling through the ice that are not able to be removed because recovery teams are reporting the ice is too weak,” the statement read.
“Many of us love to spend the New Year’s holiday with family and friends on the ice,” Col. Rodmen Smith, director of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Enforcement Division, said in a news release. “But when it comes to ice conditions, the calendar doesn’t matter.”
In a separate post, the Minnesota DNR Enforcement division noted that “[w]hile the forecast looks good for making ice, ice conditions will remain poor until there’s a string of cold days to form new, clear ice. Please stay on shore until there’s at least 4 inches of new, clear ice. If you do head out, make sure to have all the proper safety equipment and check the ice thickness frequently.”
While the incident highlights many things — the mercilessness of nature and the importance of listening to local officials when it comes to what’s safe and what isn’t — it also highlights the efficiency and efficacy of the first responders involved.
Last November, according to WCCO-TV, local officials had to rescue an even larger contingent from Upper Red Lake — over 200 anglers total.
Without their efforts, this could have ended a lot worse — particularly given how the attempted canoe rescue ended for the four fishermen that got dunked in the water. Regardless of whether the rescue was precipitated by heedless behavior, first response crews have managed to safely and swiftly move large numbers of people in peril off the lake.
Respect — and a tip of the hat — is due.
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