CATAWBA ISLAND, Ohio (WWJ) – Nearly 20 people are safe and sound after becoming stranded on an ice floe while snowmobiling and riding ATVs on Lake Erie in Ohio on Sunday.
Officials with the Coast Guard say a helicopter from Air Station Detroit spotted about 20 people on an ice floe around 1 p.m., with several snowmobiles or ATVs "looking for a route back to land."
The helicopter, a Coast Guard airboat and a helpful bystander in an airboat helped bring them all to safety.
In total, 18 people were rescued from the breakaway ice. The helicopter hoisted seven people to safety, while the Coast Guard airboat, from Station Marblehead, rescued four and a Good Samaritan in the area rescued eight others in their own airboat.
Lt. Jeremiah Schiessel, Public Affairs Officer for Coast Guard Sector Detroit, joined WWJ’s Rob Mason live on Sunday, explaining the ice floe broke off near the island and crews were working to transfer them from the ice to the state park.
Officials said while emergency medical services were standing by, none of the people rescued from the ice required medical treatment.
The Coast Guard urges all who seek recreational opportunities on the ice to "take precautions, not chances."
"Remember to dress appropriately for the water temperature, not the air temperature; to wear a life jacket and carry a reliable form of communication; and to carry icepicks or screwdrivers that can help them self-rescue if they go through the ice," a Coast Guard press release said.
Schiessel “strongly discourages” going on the ice this time of year, especially with heavy equipment like snowmobiles and ATVs. He said just last week seven people had to be rescued from Lake Erie in a similar situation.
Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest details on this developing story. >>> LISTEN LIVE!
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