Rescued from ice


More than 100 people were left stranded after a large ice chunk broke off on a lake in Minnesota on Monday.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office said police and other first responders evacuated the group from Upper Red Lake on Monday morning.

Most of them had been fishing when the large ice chunk broke off.

A statement from the sheriff's office, posted during the rescue, said: 'If you are on the ice and need to evacuate, head towards JR's Corner. There is a temporary ice bridge to get across the open water.'

Northwoods Fish Houses LLC, a company which works at the lake, estimated around 200 people were on the ice chunk after it broke off.

A staff member posted a video to Facebook Live which guessed there was about 60ft of water between the ice chunk and the main ice sheet.

He said that by about 3.20pm, everyone was 'off the lake and all safe'.

(More at linky)

Okay, I'll be honest and admit that it probably wouldn't occur to me that ice may split from the mainland and become an island - if I were there and the lake was frozen over and there wasn't an ice island, I would probably assume that it's like solid ground. Unless it's known to be early in the season or whatever.

I assume that ice island would be common knowledge to those that live in the area but probably would have been ignorant. Other than I'd probably be naturally averse to venturing too far out on ice from real land.

If these are locals who should know better, well then....

Happens every year. These resorts are to anxious to let people out on the ice to get the money ball rolling in. Yes you pay to use their access to walk out. Happens on lake Superior pretty much every year as well. I was asked by a friend to go up to Red Lake this past weekend but declined.

I'll only go out on the ice in a hovercraft.

Popular when I lived in Wisconsin. I lived on a lake that froze over. Alcohol is always a factor here.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Okay, I'll be honest and admit that it probably wouldn't occur to me that ice may split from the mainland and become an island ...

It would if you lived in this region anywhere near any of the big lakes. This is a regular occurrence from which people never seem to learn.

It's great when they drive snowmobiles and trucks (yes: trucks) out there and that happens. Those don't get rescued.

These idiots forgot we've just had 45 degree temps for the past 3 or 4 days. Ice is still pretty thin.

Make them swim back and I doubt they'll repeat.

They rescue the people, not the gear, that's expensive.
That's what happend to all my 2nd amendment gear.

I went ice fishing once with a friend about 20 years ago. Dead of Winter, around January I think, and it was cold. Bundled up as well as I could and I was decent for the most part.
A bit in to fishing with my friend and the ice made a noise like a groan and a crack while we were sitting there. Ran off that ice like someone was chasing me and I've never done it again.

It’s too early yet this year. It’s been way too warm. Ice is only just settling down, and if there’s any movement under the water, current, etc., or prevailing wind, consider yourself adrift or in.
I’d bet plenty of these folks aren’t local, and as ZS says, alcohol is often a factor.

It happens every year on Lake Erie near Toledo.
The Coast Guard has to go out in boats and rescue people.
Sometimes boneheads go back to try to get their gear and have to be rescued twice in the same day.

I’m still waiting for the first snowmobile or 4-wheeler to go through the ice here in the Twin Cities…actually surprised it hasn’t happened yet.

quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
I went ice fishing once with a friend about 20 years ago. Dead of Winter, around January I think, and it was cold. Bundled up as well as I could and I was decent for the most part.
A bit in to fishing with my friend and the ice made a noise like a groan and a crack while we were sitting there. Ran off that ice like someone was chasing me and I've never done it again.

We were fishing on Mil Lacs In January it was frigid. Four of us playing cards waiting for a line sensor to go off. You could hear the ice crack all the time. This one time the ice cracked you could hear it travel across the lake it must have been close to the fish house as it traveled past us the water in the holes raised up 6 inches. Good thing we had consumed enough alcohol to deaden our reaction time otherwise we all would still be there wedged into a 2 ft 6 in doorway.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I'll only go out on the ice in a hovercraft.

https://www.1000islandairboats.com/available-models

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...I'm driftin' in my hovercraft!! Woooooo!! Get me another beer and watch out, pedestrians!!

Early ice is always dangerous but it's also dangerous in spring when it breaks up and the winds push it up on shore. This video was a couple years ago on Mille Lacs lake. Mother nature is a real honey badger.

Is the casino still operating???

Some of my fondest childhood memories were of pond hockey. If you fell through it was only three feet deep and your buddies got you out. In between periods we would throw snowballs at each other.

If God had meant for you to be on ice He wouldn't have made it slippery!