DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Around five dozen people were rescued from ice floes in three separate locations in Door County on Thursday.
The U.S. Coast Guard says the three calls came in before 10 a.m. Crews went to areas off Sherwood Point, Sand Bay Beach and Little Harbor, where cracks had developed between the shore and the groups of people. It’s not known what specifically caused the cracks to form.
Multiple emergency response agencies rescued 66 ice fisherman.
“Once we got the resources in place it was just about safely removing the people in place,” said Chief Deputy Patrick McCarty of the Door County Sheriff’s Office.
Due to wind and warmer temperatures in the morning, the ice broke away stranding the fishermen.
“The initial break was about 10 feet but then by the end of the rescue it was over a mile,” said McCarty.
The Door County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy tells FOX 11 it was a quick rescue operation thanks to the weather.
“The oncoming storm hadn’t yet arrived in Door County. Our rescue efforts were not hampered by the weather conditions, other than the ice conditions.”
Both ice boats and helicopters were used on the rescue, which helped find more people stranded.
“Once we got the helos out there and did an overview we found out there were more people,” said Dennis Whartnaby with the U.S. Coast Guard. “Some of the people we met up with they didn’t know what was going on.”
The U.S. Coast Guard also says no one was injured.
Whartnaby said, “everyone is safe there were no medical issues, nothing. It’s actually pretty great how everything turned out.”
Both Door County Sheriff’s Office and the Coast Guard are taking this time to remind all going ice fishing to make sure they have the proper safety equipment with them.
“Having life jackets and a marine radio because this kind of stuff can happen,” said Whartnaby.
Overall, the agencies are calling the rescue a success.
Door County sheriff’s officials, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and local fire and EMS crews helped with the rescues.
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