Huge rescue effort after ice floe traps 35 fishermen in Duluth
When the ice you're standing on suddenly starts moving and you notice the shore getting further and further away, there's a good chance you're in trouble.
That was exactly the case for three dozen fishermen in Duluth on Saturday morning, when they found themselves trapped on an ice floe in Superior Bay.
In a news release, the Duluth Fire Department says strong winds created a crack in the ice "with open water," stranding the 36 men and their equipment.
"It created a crack that at one point was 50 feet (wide)," a fire official told MPR.
Rescuers were called to the ice at 10:40 a.m., and subsequently used a ladder and various boats to get the fishermen to safety, the release says.
It took multiple agencies – including the U.S. Coast Guard and the DNR – to get the job done.
Interestingly, one of the 36 men decided to enter the water and was able to get to shore on his own.
MPR says he waded through chest-deep water to get to shore before rescue teams arrived.
“This happens every year,” a fire official told Duluth News Tribune, adding that "the ice is always changing, always dangerous."
Luckily, no one was injured in this case.
