U.S. Coast Guard and local fire officials helped recover 13 people from ice floating on Lake Erie Monday. Seven others escaped the floe via their own vessels.
The floe broke off at 10:21 a.m. near Catawba Island, Ohio, the Coast Guard said.
The ice broke free after wind and weight helped form a crack in it.
“They were all on the same ice island. It starts as a small crack, and then over time it increases. It’s not so much the temperature as it’s the wind. …It starts pushing (the ice floe), and that crack is just going to get bigger and bigger,” Coast Guard Station Marblehead Petty Officer Cory Nussbaum told the Fremont News-Messenger.
The floe was a mile long. The Coast Guard rescued nine people with a helicopter and a pair of airboats, Petty Officer Jessica Fontenette told The Associated Press.
Four other people were rescued by the Put-in-Bay Fire Department, the Coast Guard said.
Rescue operations were finished by 12:45 p.m., according to the News-Messenger. By then, the gulf between the floe and the shore had grown to 0.5 nautical mile.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
“Ice floes are unpredictable and can quickly become hazardous, particularly in windy conditions or strong currents. Always check local ice conditions before venturing out and be prepared for any emergencies,” Lt. Adeeb Ahmad, public affairs officer for Coast Guard Sector Detroit, said in a statement.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.