SANDUSKY, Ohio — A Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Detroit and an airboat from Station Marblehead combined with a good Samaritan to help rescue 18 people from an ice floe that separated from land near Catawba Island in Lake Erie Sunday.
Rescue efforts began about 1 p.m. after an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Detroit noticed approximately 20 people on an ice floe, with several ATVs looking for a route back to land. The helicopter lowered its rescue swimmer and began hoisting operations while Station
Marblehead’s airboat got underway. The helicopter hoisted seven people from the floe, four others were rescued by the Coast Guard airboat, and the remaining seven were rescued and transported to shore by a Good Samaritan who also had an airboat on scene. Emergency medical
services were standing by, but no one required medical attention.
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.
“There’s no such thing as safe ice, but people can mitigate their risks,” said Lt. j.g. Jeremiah Schiessel, from Coast Guard Sector Detroit. “Always be sure to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back. Great Lakes ice is unpredictable, and conditions can change fast.”
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