NASEWAUPEE, Wis. (WFRV) – On Friday afternoon, multiple ice fishers were stranded and rescued offshore near southern Door County.
According to Let’s Go Door County, approximately 20 shanties, a few UTVs and several stranded ice fishers were stranded.
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Officer Chris Zahn with the United States Coast Guard in Sturgeon Bay said they received a report of fishermen stranded on an ice flow, rescuing 11. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and other officials responded.
“On [that] particular flow, there were eleven out there,” Officer Zahn said.
This is the second week in a row that Nasewaupee officials had to step in to rescue ice fishermen in the area.
This specific incident on Friday, January 24, was created by shifting winds and open leads, which caused the ice split to increase from 10 feet up to 30 feet.
“Luckily, most of the fishermen were in shanties so that they were warm and safe, but it just wasn’t safe to cross back,” Officer Zahn said. “No ice is safe ice, be aware of the conditions and make sure somebody knows where you are.”
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Officer Zahn added that people should never cross over an ice crack to go fishing, especially since a one-foot crack could open up rapidly and become impassable.
The rescue operation ended successfully around 4 p.m. on Friday.
