Multiple agencies respond to hundreds of people stranded on ice floe
February 7th, 2009

CLEVELAND - The U.S. Coast Guard, and multiple state and local agencies are attempting to rescue several hundred people stranded on an ice floe in western Lake Erie near Oak Harbor, Ohio.

Approximately 300-500 people are reported to be on the ice flow. The call for help came into the Coast Guard at approximately 10:45 a.m.

Responding agencies include: U.S. Coast Guard Air Stations Detroit, Traverse City, Mich., and Elizabeth City, N.C.; U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, U.S. Coast Guard Stations Toledo, Ohio, Belle Isle, Mich., St. Clair Shores, Mich., and Marblehead, Ohio; Canadian Coast Guard; Ohio State Patrol, Monroe County Sheriff; Jervis, Carol and Washington Townships; Toledo Lifeflight.

Rescuers are staging out of Crane Creek State Park in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

“We don’t know why the people were on the ice,” said Lt. David French, Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs Officer. “Right now our primary goal is to safely remove all the people from the ice floe.”

As of 1:25 p.m., 35 people have been safely removed from the ice floe.
from 19 action news;
Ice Rescue: 150 Ice Fishermen Rescued On Lake Erie, One Person Has Died

Updated: Feb 7, 2009 03:59 PM EST



Cleveland, OH - The U.S. Coast Guard, and multiple state and local agencies are recovering approximately 150-200 people, Saturday, from an ice floe in western Lake Erie near Oak Harbor, Ohio.

As of 3 p.m., more than 150 people have been safely recovered. One of two people were actually pulled from Lake Erie, one of which died.

According to 19 Action News sister station WTOL in Toledo, one person on a snowmobile fell through the ice and was pulled back up by friends who administered CPR. The person was then taken to a local hospital where he later died.

The call for help reportedly came into the Coast Guard at approximately 10:45 a.m.

Rescuers staged out of Crane Creek State Park in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

"We don't know why the people were on the ice," said Lt. David French, Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs Officer. "Right now our primary goal is to safely remove all the people from the ice floe."

Emergency crews used hovercraft and boats to bring the stranded fishermen back to shore.

The Ottawa County Sheriff told WTOL that they originally estimated 175-300 people were trapped on the ice. He thinks the fisherman encountered a crack in the ice and put some sort of plank or bridge up to cross it. Then they became trapped as high winds and warm temperatures may have caused the crack to shift.

A spokesman for the Coast Guard in Cleveland says they don't know if the ice flow is drifting, but that currents are strong this time of year.