Environment

Fishermen Trapped on Lake Erie Ice Floe

by Jordan Yerman | February 7, 2009 at 11:40 am

1307 views | 18 Recommendations | 7 comments

An eight-mile-wide ice floe broke loose from the Ohio shore of Lake Erie, stranding hundreds of ice fishermen.

Warming temperatures cracked the ice and sank the wooden ramps the fishermen used to get out to their fishing spots.

The Coast Guard stationed in Toldeo, Ohio trains for just such an event.

According to CBS Affiliate WTOL, a group of ice fisherman became trapped as high winds and warming temperatures caused a crack in the ice to shift.

The Ottawa County Sheriff estimated there were between 175 and 300 people trapped, spread out along the coastline.

Fox News comes up with a different number:

The Coast Guard says 300 to 500 ice fishermen are stuck on an ice floe about eight miles wide that has broken free and is floating away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie, FOXToledo.com reports.

WTOL reports that one fisherman has fallen through the ice. Crews have pulled him out and were performing CPR on him.

14 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

kuuva

at 12:34 on February 7th, 2009

i hope they all get off without harm. lets hope the guy that fell through the ice survices too.

Amy Judd

at 14:44 on February 7th, 2009

According to MSN news - one of the men died.

Barry ORegan

at 17:02 on February 7th, 2009

You know, there is something to buying your fish at the supermarket, but damned if I know the reason?

Uwe Paschen

at 16:23 on February 8th, 2009

Crikit

at 16:28 on February 8th, 2009

This must have been a horrifying experience for these people...God Bless the family who lost their family member in this tragedy!

PurpleMal

at 17:03 on February 8th, 2009

Ice fisherman between South Bass island and Catawba.

PurpleMal has contributed a photo to this story.

Laramie_Coyote

at 16:04 on February 9th, 2009

Not much to tell. Just one of those infamous snows in the snowbelt. (Chardon, OH). The Lake Effect snow can be nasty to deal with. The dog kennels are built off our house for a reason now. The weight of the lake effect snow (very heavy and wet) collapsed our kennel when it was free standing. (Course, we lost our garage to the same thing years ago!). We rebuilt it off the house for support.

Even with the snow, I wouldn't live anywhere else. Nor would my husband, who came from California. He says he would miss the seasons.

Laramie_Coyote has contributed a photo to this story.