Winnipesaukee Forum - Ice Fishermen Stranded on Lake Erie

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Ice Fishermen Stranded on Lake Erie

ABC News .........

Quote:

Sheriff: 1 Dead, 100-Plus Rescued From Lake Erie

Sheriff: 1 dead, 100 to 125 rescued from ice floe that broke from Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline

By JOHN SEEWER Associated Press Writer
OAK HARBOR, Ohio February 7, 2009 (AP)
The Associated Press



A miles-wide ice floe broke away Saturday from Lake Erie's shoreline, trapping more than 100 fishermen, some for as long as four hours. One person fell into the water and later died.
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_graphic_090207_mn.jpg Map locates approximate area where hundreds of people were stranded on a breakaway ice flow in Lake Erie.
(W. Castello, STF/AP Graphic)
More Photos

The rest of the 100 to 125 fishermen were safe by late afternoon; many were plucked from the ice by rescuers who glided along in air boats.
"We were in no danger," said Norb Pilaczynski of Swanton, Ohio, who was rescued from the lake along with several of his friends. "We knew there was enough ice out there."
Earlier in the morning, fishermen used wooden pallets to bridge a crack in the ice so they could go out farther on the lake. But temperatures rose into the 40s, and the planks fell into the water when the ice shifted, stranding the fishermen about 1,000 yards offshore.

Read more.... HERE

All you ice fishermen and ladies.....BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

When you have to use wooden crates to bridge a crack in the ice; and when the forecast is in the 40's -- you simply have to assume all the risks yourself. Some people are very, very dumb.

One of the stranded reported that an ice breaker went by shortly before the ice started to move. The coast guard denies it, so there will be lots of discussion on some forum about that. Good thing the SS Mount Washington is tied up for the winter.

I happened to be flying out of Cleveland on Friday on my way to Manchester at 3.30 PM. It was sunny and about 40 degrees. Erie was a patchwork of ice and open water. Giant ice patches with dozens of "rivers" cutting through them.

The map shows the incident to be further west of what I observed, so conditions there may have been different. Funny thing is the guy sitting beside me made the comment that it looked like ice breakers must have been cutting channels in the ice off Cleveland heading east.

I didn't see any sign of people or snow machines on the ice around Cleveland.