Coasties pulling people off of Erie Ice Floe

[Linda G.]

Had a gig to go to this morning that the local Coast Guarnd helicopter was supposed to attend. When they were about an hour late, the folks running this gig got a call from the Coast Guard saying the Traverse City Coasties had all be deployed to Lake Erie to pull hundreds of people off ice floes breaking up in the warm weather...

Anyone know anything about this?

[ESOX]

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090207/DEVELOPINGNEWS/902070251
About 200 fishermen are trapped on Lake Erie because of cracks that developed in the ice when they were on the lake.

Rescue workers are preparing to retrieve the fishermen, who apparently used wooden pallets to create a bridge to get past a crack and further onto the lake. The ice shifted in the windy weather, causing the fishermen to be stranded between the water and the shore about 1,000 yards off the shore.

Authorities from Jerusalem Township and Lucas County are on the scene, which is at Crane Creek State Park in northern Ottawa County. No injuries have been reported.


Toledo Weather:
This Afternoon: Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Windy, with a southwest wind between 29 and 31 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph.


You can't fix stupid, but you can rescue it off the ice.:dizzy:

[boardstifff]

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/ohio-incidents-breaking-news/134147-significant-ice-rescue-operations-progress-western-lake-erie.html

[ESOX]

Looking at the Modis imagery, the Western Basin is still socked in pretty good, but there is plenty of room for a good ride. Wouldn't catch me out there in this wind.
http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/modis.cgi/modis?region=e&page=1&template=sub&image=t1.09038.1635.LakeErie.143.250m.jpg

[bucksrus]

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090207/DEVELOPINGNEWS/902070251


Toledo Weather:


You can't fix stupid, but you can rescue it off the ice.:dizzy:


Let's just hope everyone is OK.:coco:

[GILL_SLAYER]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/07/america/Ice-Floe-Fishermen.php

There is breaking news on MSNBC about all these ice fisherman that are trapped on an 8 mile long ice floe.

Lets all hope everyone makes it off okay

[MichiganMark]

Just came accross Fox news.... 35 people lifted off so far as of 2:00pm today.

Not sure if vehicles are involved since they used wood planks to bridge the crack, but I wonder how many of them responded that they would drive their truck on the ice in the earlier poll in this forum. What can you take on that helicopter ride or boat trip... rods, electronics? I doubt it.

Oh, and how much does it cost to have any wehicle be it truck, sled or quad lifted off the ice before it goes swimming???

[fur and feathers jr.]

Man, That sucks! Hope they make it off ok! :( Keep em in your prayers guys !

[bucksrus]

Man, That sucks! Hope they make it off ok! :( Keep em in your prayers guys !

:yeahthat:

[radiohead]

Hope they are able to rescue everyone!

http://stmedia.startribune.com/designimages/thinFlagLabel.gif Coast Guard: Hundreds of fishermen trapped on ice floe that broke from Lake Erie shoreline

Associated Press
February 7, 2009
CLEVELAND - Several hundred people were trapped on a slab of ice about 8 miles wide that had broken free and floated away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said Saturday.
Coast Guard Petty Officer George Degener said several ships and helicopters from Toledo and Marblehead were sent to rescue the people from the ice floe.
Degener says there were no reports of anybody injured or in the water.
He said the Coast Guard was notified late Saturday morning, and about 35 people had been rescued by 1:30 p.m.
Ice on western sections of Lake Erie is up to 2 feet thick, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Randel said. He said it started to crack as temperatures rose above freezing this weekend and wind gusting to 35 mph pushed on the ice.
Ice fisherman who regularly visit the lake have said this winter's thick ice has lured more people to the lake this year.
Ohio Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jamey Graham said the state annually warns fishermen that there's no such thing as "safe ice."


© 2009 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.


http://www.startribune.com/nation/39259392.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD 3aPc:_Yyc:aUUZ

[jiggineyes]

Toledo blade says about 200 people!:dizzy:

[Linda G.]

they take you...that's it...no gear, no vehicles, no pets. Just you.

[WALLEYEvision]

...CLEVELAND - Several hundred people were trapped on a slab of ice about 8 miles wide that had broken free and floated away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said Saturday...

"Several hundered people"...Man, there's gonna be a lot of gear left on the ice. :tdo12:

Hope they were able to get everyone off safely.

[stinger63]

Thats just plain crazy people should realy use common sense when going out on that lake with this kinda of weather.

Man, there's gonna be a lot of gear left on the ice.

Matt lets go we can go salvage all that gear :)

[salmonslammer]

Hope everyone makes it off OK..... Thats going to be a helluva SAR op.

Gotta watch those off shore winds... anything above 12 mph can push a berg.. or @ least thats been my experience.

Thats a weird feeling standing on ice thats moving.... hope to not do that again soon.

[lakergrad]

There will be stories to tell, as I'm sure there are a few MS members out there. This one will be remembered for sometime.......:yikes:

[MichiganMark]

I just saw pictures... quads on that ice. I have NO issue with quads and sleds making the trek.... but to cross over cracks on wood pallets... no way. When I went outside today it warmed up a bit and the wind was gusting pretty good, that would have been clue number one of possible moving ice.

Those have to be the most expensive fish fillets they'll have.... whoops, had to leave the fish behind as well.

Oh and aren't they charging for the chopper rides now as well?????

[Firefighter]

I was just in lapeer and watch a coast gaurd chopper bustin butt SE. Probally headed out to pull them folks off....

You think they'd have figured out that 50 degrees plus 20 mph winds = ice breaking off.

Unfortunally we as taxpayers have to pick up the bill for their stupidity...

[ted stehney]

I think that if you are going to say a prayer for them could you include a prayer for some north esat wind. That would possibly help them get the machines off the ice without incurring a big bill.

[Firefighter]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: Hundreds Of Fishermen Stranded On Ice Floe


POSTED: Saturday, February 7, 2009
UPDATED: 2:53 pm EST February 7, 2009

http://www.clickondetroit.com/images/structures/buttons/button_enlarge.gif
http://www.clickondetroit.com/2008/0613/16602016_240X180.jpg
(http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/18664172/detail.html#)AP




COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Several hundred people were trapped on a slab of ice about 8 miles wide that had broken free and floated away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said Saturday.
Coast Guard Petty Officer George Degener said several ships and helicopters from Toledo and Marblehead were sent to rescue the people from the ice floe. The Coast Guard said crews from Michigan, including Detroit, Traverse City and St. Clair Shores, also responded.
Degener said there were no reports of injuries, but WTOL-TV in Toledo said one person was taken to a hospital after falling into the water.
He said about 35 people had been rescued by 1:30 p.m., some three hours after the break was reported.
Authorities said fishermen apparently used wooden pallets to create a bridge over a crack in the ice so they could go farther out on the lake. But the planks fell into the water when the ice shifted, stranding the fishermen about 1,000 yards off shore.
Ice on western sections of Lake Erie is up to 2 feet thick, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Randel said. He said it started to crack as temperatures rose above freezing this weekend and wind gusting to 35 mph pushed on the ice.
Ice fisherman who regularly visit the lake have said this winter's thick ice has lured more people to the lake this year.
Ohio Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jamey Graham said the state annually warns fishermen that there's no such thing as "safe ice."

[fishbonez]

watched 3 choppers go buy the house and i told the wife i think they are going to pick people off the ice and low and behold. wow with all this wind?!:bloos:

[jiggineyes]

http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/More_than_100_people_stranded

I guess it didnt break free from the shoreline. The planks allowed them to cross a crack with thin ice between the slabs and the ice melted sinking the bridge. Some guys are actually walkiing way to the west where the crack is still tight to get back to land!

[icefishin nutz]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: Hundreds Of Fishermen Stranded On Ice Floe

POSTED: Saturday, February 7, 2009
UPDATED: 2:53 pm EST February 7, 2009



AP
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Several hundred people were trapped on a slab of ice about 8 miles wide that had broken free and floated away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said Saturday.

Coast Guard Petty Officer George Degener said several ships and helicopters from Toledo and Marblehead were sent to rescue the people from the ice floe. The Coast Guard said crews from Michigan, including Detroit, Traverse City and St. Clair Shores, also responded.

Degener said there were no reports of injuries, but WTOL-TV in Toledo said one person was taken to a hospital after falling into the water.

He said about 35 people had been rescued by 1:30 p.m., some three hours after the break was reported.

Authorities said fishermen apparently used wooden pallets to create a bridge over a crack in the ice so they could go farther out on the lake. But the planks fell into the water when the ice shifted, stranding the fishermen about 1,000 yards off shore.

Ice on western sections of Lake Erie is up to 2 feet thick, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Randel said. He said it started to crack as temperatures rose above freezing this weekend and wind gusting to 35 mph pushed on the ice.

Ice fisherman who regularly visit the lake have said this winter's thick ice has lured more people to the lake this year.

Ohio Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jamey Graham said the state annually warns fishermen that there's no such thing as "safe ice."


Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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[stinger63]

You think they'd have figured out that 50 degrees plus 20 mph winds = ice breaking off.



Ya some people will never learn :dizzy:

[here2]

hopefully no one gets hurt today, but i mean really did thier brains turn on this morning or not? its warm as hell and windy as hell, was it that good of an idea?

[icefishin nutz]

We just heard over scan america that the ice has blown back togther and people are now trying to retrieve their gear:rolleyes::dizzy: and there are dozens of trucks, and atvs on the ice/ and floating

[multibeard]

[QUOTE=ESOX;/
You can't fix stupid, but you can rescue it off the ice.:dizzy:[/QUOTE]

With all the changes to ice fishing in my 55 years of ice fishing that that is one thing that hasn't changed.

Another thing that went down the fishing hole was plain old common sence.

[bowhuntr81]

I have a buddy stationed with the Neah Bay in Cleveland...I would imagine he is glad he is away in Virginia for training or I'm sure he'd be out helping. Hope everyone is alright!

[doublell]

wtol-tv has some raaw video on it's website

[n.pike]

:banghead3:banghead3:banghead3

[WALLEYEvision]

MSNBC is all over this story...they're running updates every 10 minutes or so. They had video of a bunch of quads, sleds, shanties ect...left all over the ice.


Here's the link to the WTOL-TV Toledo website:

http://www.wtol.com/global/story.asp?s=9805706

[MichiganMark]

Geez... now I'll probally get freshly washed quads offered for trade to my tractor AD.

[7iron]

Fox News is reporting 100+ fishermen and women rescued from ice floe on Lake Erie. 1 fatality, CG on duty.

[MiketheElder]

Mayhbe this boat traffic had something to do with the crack. Maybe not. http://www.boatnerd.com/ News Channel Tab.

Have you ever been on Lake St. Clair in late February or early March when the freighters start back up? You can actually see/feel the hump in the ice as the wave travels under the ice.

[Joeker51]

Mayhbe this boat traffic had something to do with the crack. Maybe not. http://www.boatnerd.com/ News Channel Tab.

Have you ever been on Lake St. Clair in late February or early March when the freighters start back up? You can actually see/feel the hump in the ice as the wave travels under the ice.

Was thinking that minor quake yesterday may have added to the crack situation too.

[spikecamp]

it would be nice to have a hoffercraft then youy wouldn't have nothing to worry about.

[sullyxlh]

....1 fatality, CG on duty.
And I can only pray it wasn't a rescuer..
It ain't rocket science that it was going to be crappy out today
The damn weatherman has been talkin about it all week:dizzy:

[Rumajz]

http://www.foxnews.com/images/501921/6_61_020709_icemap.jpg (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489598,00.html#) AP


CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard says one person is dead and hundreds of ice fishermen are still stranded 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.
Coast Guard Petty Officer George Degener told The Associated Press that several ships and helicopters from Toledo and Marblehead, Ohio, are attempting to rescue up to 500 people from the ice slab.
Local authorities later estimated the number of fishermen to be around 175 to 300.
One person fell through the ice and emergency crews performed CPR before taking him to Firelands Regional Medical center.
FOXToledo.com reports that those stuck had used planks of plywood placed on a thin layer of ice to walk out to the lake, but when the ice melted the wooden path sank, stranding them away from shore.
Degener said there are no reports of anyone injured or in the water.
A medical helicopter provided aerial surveillance from the scene, reporting over 100 people and several vehicles on the ice in several different clusters.
Toledo and Washington Township fire departments are aiding with the rescue effort with two hovercraft. Jerusalem Township also is providing resources to the rescue effort.
Some of the stranded are attempting to make a 10-mile walk to more solid ice and back to land.

[Wishn I was fishn]

Sheriff: 1 dead, 125 rescued from Lake Erie

By JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press Writer

AP – Rescue workers walk across frozen Lake Erie as they return to shore at Crane Creek State Park in Oak … OAK HARBOR, Ohio – One person who was among those stuck Saturday on a miles-wide slab of ice that floated away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie has died, while 125 others were rescued, authorities said.

The victim fell into the water while searching with others for a link to the shoreline, Ottawa County sheriff Bob Bratton said. Others tried CPR before the person was flown to a hospital and pronounced dead, Bratton said.

Several ships and helicopters from Toledo and Marblehead, and from Detroit, were sent to rescue the people from the 8-mile-wide ice floe.

Authorities said fishermen apparently used wooden pallets to create a bridge over a crack in the ice so they could go farther out on the lake Saturday morning. But the planks fell into the water when the ice shifted, stranding the fishermen about 1,000 yards off shore.

Ice on western sections of Lake Erie is up to 2 feet thick, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Randel said. He said it started to crack as temperatures rose above freezing this weekend and wind gusting to 35 mph pushed on the ice.

Ice fisherman who regularly visit the lake have said this winter's thick ice has lured more people to the lake this year.

"There was a heck of a city out there for the last week and a half, two weeks," said 71-year-old Oak Harbor resident Peter Harrison, who has lived on the shore for 40 years.

Ohio Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jamey Graham said the state annually warns fishermen that there's no such thing as "safe ice."

Even in very cold weather, the ice on western Lake Erie is often unsafe because currents can easily cause the ice to shift. Firefighters in communities along the lake are trained for rescues from the ice and are often on guard when temperatures rise.

___

Associated Press writer Kantele Franko in Columbus contributed to this report

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_re_us/ice_floe_fishermen

[glnmiller]

Wow, that is a lot of people to get off the ice. I hope no more lives are lost.

[flinch]

"Authorities said fishermen apparently used wooden pallets to create a bridge over a crack in the ice so they could go farther out on the lake Saturday morning. But the planks fell into the water when the ice shifted, stranding the fishermen about 1,000 yards off shore."

:rolleyes:

[Wishn I was fishn]

50 Degrees and a 30 mph offshore wind no less. Darwins law at work.

[fur and feathers jr.]

Man, this seems to happen ever year! :(

[naterade]

keep in mind that someone has died. sensibility aside, someone has lost their life and there could very well be members that are family and/or friends of this individual. My condolences to the family.

[tubejig]

I read that 134 of 135 were taken off of the ice alive. My prayers go out to the families and hope that the media does not deicide to run this poor soul through the ringer, the family doesn't need to be told on the 7pm news what their idea of bad decision is.

[Gina Fox]

I noticed the CG choppers very active too, my thoughts were exactly the same. It is really blowing out there, the wind and the 52 degree temps, not a good combination. I heard one guy died, hope everyone makes it off ok.

[stinger63]

50 Degrees and a 30 mph offshore wind no less. Darwins law at work.
__________________
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid."


Im a compassionate person but I dont feel sorry anyone.They made a bad choice when they should have known better.

[yellowbelly80]

sad for sure but the story tells all

[fishindude644]

Most news stations dont have a clue on how we icefish and assume the worst when something like this happens making it look like icefisherpeople are not smart. Nothing worse than a unknowledgable news anchor doing a story on something they know nothing about. I hope they dont run it through the ringer. Oh thats right they already are. Prayers go out to the lost icefisheman's family.

[jiggineyes]

No kidding! Ice flow never even seperated from the shore like they made it out to be. the news made it sound like they were on a floating ice burg in the middle of lk. erie. The thin ice over the crack deteriated and they lost the bridge they were using. Crack was tight 5 miles away and never seperated.

[ESOX]

I put a number of threads that were posted all over the place together. Everything from the various threads will fall in chronological order. No need for a bunch of threads on the same topic, all started in two hours.

[fish 1]

becareful out there happend today !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!the story is on web i cant post url's yet for the story

[layedout]

Its because they never learn, SW wind, warm weather, means don't go over cracks that you have to build a bridge over. How stupid can you be.

[jacktownhooker]

thats alot of orv left behind ! seems like someone would rent a helicopter to collect them

[mmac1318]

I agree it wasnt very smart when you think about the wind direction and how hard it was blowing but sometimes you just dont think it will happen to you. Most of those guys probably crossed that crack 20 times this year or were new to big water fishing and figured everything was locked in. Alot of the time once somebody sees 1 person going for it everybody else does too. I would like to think that if I was there(and I considered it) I wouldnt have gone over that crack but you never know till you are in that situation. My heart goes out to the family that lost a loved one and when you consider it being that many people we/they are lucky it was only 1 lost.

[stinger63]

thats alot of orv left behind ! seems like someone would rent a helicopter to collect them

The coastguard will be having a garage sale in the spring:lol:

[William H Bonney]

I was just in lapeer and watch a coast gaurd chopper bustin butt SE. Probally headed out to pull them folks off....

You think they'd have figured out that 50 degrees plus 20 mph winds = ice breaking off.

Unfortunally we as taxpayers have to pick up the bill for their stupidity...

Hmmmm, that's weird. I don't remember seeing where I was charged for this on my winter tax bill....:rolleyes:

[jakeo]

I was caught once back in 1984 and NEVER AGAIN! Dad,wife and myself went out on my snowmobiles and a man walking in told us we could use his shanty(wooden permenant one). We went out and fished not very long and heard sea gulls.....AH OH..... Opened door on my side and saw open water. Left poles and buckets there and took off along to where it was still tied together and crossed about a foot and never slowed till we hit shore. Loaded sleds on trailer and a man come up and offered me $100.00 to go out and get his shanty.NO TY. Last time on that lake ice fishing.
I am one sportsman that thinks that if you have to cross a wooden plank build bridge to go fishing.....its time to eat the "square" fish from McDonalds!!

BTW......West winds tomm will result in .....Michigan side opening up.(BREST BAY,STERLING) I predict. PLEASE USE YOUR HEADS!!!

[Gina Fox]

Oh, and how much does it cost to have any wehicle be it truck, sled or quad lifted off the ice before it goes swimming???


I wonder if that would be considered towing????

[jstfish48162]

BTW......West winds tomm will result in .....Michigan side opening up.(BREST BAY,STERLING) I predict. PLEASE USE YOUR HEADS!!!

WNW predicted for tomorrow...even worse for MI waters of Lake Erie. we fished at Sterling today (fished the lagoons for gills). when we left, we drove through the park and saw people fishing out past Stoney Point. NO THANK YOU......i get my fill of Lake Erie in a boat on soft water and i DO NOT TRUST HER THEN!!!!!!!

BTW......ice in lagoons at sterling is 18 inches and melting fast.....alot of water running into holes.....that tells me alot of water is moving out into the lake and the lake water is moving east.....i don't feel like going for a ride:yikes:

[Laketrotter]

Heres a link to a local Ohio paper with pictures of the ice rescue http://www.thebeacon.net/index.php/news/local-news/2119-ice-rescue

[DocHoliday]

One man dead. The fish are not worth it. Couple of bucks a pound at the store. I'm going to stay on the inland lakes.

[Trippin' Dipsies]

I just love the righteous attitude a couple of you exhibit in this thread. I’m not justifying going out on an offshore wind…but with every outdoor sport there is an inherent danger and a game of chance. From going duck hunting in a gale, fishing LSC with a “chance” of strong T-storms, to any type of ice fishing.

As Fishindude stated, these reporters have a slant to the facts. This “bridge” that everyone speaks of was nothing more than a piece of plywood that covered a pressure crack along the main trail. This was put there over a week ago so that particular spot won’t be worn out (a common practice on any of the big waters). It was not “needed” to be able to fish.

Additionally, these guys weren’t floating out to sea. The crack pushed off 50-100 yards and moved no further. If you look at the sat photos the Eastern Basin it is completely ice covered and locked from the Western Basin by the Bass Islands…. very similar to Saginaw Bay (bottle-necked from Lk Huron).

One contributing factor that most reporters have not mentioned (other than TV-13 & the Coast Guard) is that there was boat/cutter movement down by the Maumee today. Hopefully, with the predicting NW winds it will push the ice back so that these guys can get their equipment back. If not, they can pay an airboat guy to it.

[fasthunter]

Thats just plain crazy people should realy use common sense when going out on that lake with this kinda of weather.


Matt lets go we can go salvage all that gear :)
Very well said stinger!

[Revpilot]

Tripping dipsies, i heard the same thing you did about the boat. That wood was put there the first few days anyone fished out of there. It was never a bridge. I fished out of there for the last week, glad i didnt today. I know 4 guys that have quads sitting out there, and its costing them 200 each to have the airboat bring them back across tomorrow. They were allowed to bring one bucket of stuff in the CG airboat back across the ice break.

[Firefighter]

Hmmmm, that's weird. I don't remember seeing where I was charged for this on my winter tax bill....:rolleyes:


Who do you think pays for it genius? :rolleyes:

[Linda G.]

Seems that a friend of ours was out there fishing from an airboat yesterday-Jimmy Gretzinger of MOOD.

Here's what he said in his mail..."I was in an airboat, so we were fine. Once they unloaded us they took the boat back out and got more people."

As for the media in general, I was laughing at one guy on Fox yesterday afternoon when he said there was 300 to 500 THOUSAND people out there-sure, the whole city of Cleveland. He corrected himself in the next segment...and then, the bright eyed blonde-"The Coast Guard did not say what all those people were doing on that ice." Oh, brother.

You have to understand how these people can say things like that-most of them have never even been outside...LOL

In another segment, one of the ice fishermen rescued said that the crack was a foot wide that people had been crossing for two weeks-and then it opened to 100 feet wide. He was visibly shaken, and said on TV that he didn't think he'd EVER go out there again.

The man that died apparently had some sort of heart incident, it was not the guy that fell in that was rescued. What a tragedy for the family of the man that died, and miracle for the man that was rescued.

Thank god it's over...but, I'm sure, by the end of the season, there will be a lot more incidents like this. People are broke, out of work, and bored. They are fishing to fill their freezers for the first time in decades. LOTS more ice anglers out everywhere these days-more than I've seen in years.

[ESOX]

Things change quickly with temps in the upper 40's and high winds. Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there who lack the experience to understand that.
Lake Erie western basin Friday:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/t1_09037_1552_LakeErie_143_250m.jpg

Western basin Saturday afternoon
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/t1_09038_1635_LakeErie_143_250m.jpg

[alex-v]

Who do you think pays for it genius? :rolleyes:
The really, really important thing to realize is that it is their job, plain and simple. When the Coast Guard and local police departments start to whine and cry about having to do their job description then we are in trouble as a society. Let them keep on crying about it long enough and they will start to whine about having to go out on a rainy afternoon to rescue a boat that ran out of gas. Bad situation if this keeps up.

The money spent is our tax dollars. If they do not spend it on a rescue they will spend it on practicing for a rescue but spend it they will.

[soggybtmboys]

We just watched it on the news, that Sherrif and his mouth out to rethink how he shoots it off. He is in an elected position, and I am pretty certain those fellas thought they were safe. I talked to a buddy of mine who was down that way yesterday, and he made mention that it would have been fine except for the big boat that came out thru the Maumee and opened up about 100 ft path that gave that ice the opportunity to move and open up like that.

I am glad all the fellas got off with no incident, and prayers sent for the family of the fella that had a heart attack.

Good job Coast Guard and rescuers.

[Willie Tippit]

The really, really important thing to realize is that it is their job, plain and simple. When the Coast Guard and local police departments start to whine and cry about having to do their job description then we are in trouble as a society. Let them keep on crying about it long enough and they will start to whine about having to go out on a rainy afternoon to rescue a boat that ran out of gas. Bad situation if this keeps up.

The money spent is our tax dollars. If they do not spend it on a rescue they will spend it on practicing for a rescue but spend it they will.:yeahthat: Well put alex.....

[Bumble]

This incident gained national attention. Be on the lookout for new laws for icefishing. Us icefisherpersons get a bad rap. I never see a report on tv when the coast gaurd rescues someone on Erie in a open water. I'm sure it happens. Grant it, I wouldnt have fished on Erie yesterday but I dont think any of those people went out yesterday thinking they would need to be rescued. Many thought it was locked in. It's been rumured that a cutter went though to the Maumee. How would these people have known? I think there's more to the story than what is being told by that sheriff. The plank was not placed out there yesterday. It had been there more than a week to prevent that area from getting worse. Did the sheriff know yesterday that a cutter was clearing a path? If so, who's the "idiot"? I don't own a boat so 90 percent of my fishing is on the ice. Monroe County doesn't have any public inland lakes to fish.
Great work by all the people who assisted with this incident. To all the ice fisherpeople out there, don't take this as a black mark. We're just persuing a hobby.

[Q2XL]

The money spent is our tax dollars. If they do not spend it on a rescue they will spend it on practicing for a rescue but spend it they will.

I agree. Yesterday there was a sheriff quoted as saying that it was costing him at least $25,000 to rescue the men. My thought is where did this $25,000 figure come from. Is that what we pay everyday to fund our fire and rescue? Maybe so. I know there were probably people called in and that were payed time and a half to help with the rescue, but most of that many would have been spent anyways whether it was for training or rescuing someone else from some other situation.

Also, going on the lake with conditions like they were was a marginal decision at best.

[SPITFIRE]

The really, really important thing to realize is that it is their job, plain and simple. When the Coast Guard and local police departments start to whine and cry about having to do their job description then we are in trouble as a society. Let them keep on crying about it long enough and they will start to whine about having to go out on a rainy afternoon to rescue a boat that ran out of gas. Bad situation if this keeps up.

The money spent is our tax dollars. If they do not spend it on a rescue they will spend it on practicing for a rescue but spend it they will.
I agree with this statement even though the fishermen were taking a big risk on a day like that.

[steve myers]

I;m just glad all but one were rescued.This is why I;ll stick to catching a few less walleyes by sticking to smaller bodies of water or just off shore on big waters.Every year this happens and theres no good reason to be out that far on a day in the 40;s with high winds.People use common sense.Good fishermen post on our site all the time about going out in that knid of weather.Listen to experienced big water fishermen.

[Trippin' Dipsies]

I keep seeing posts/photos showing how the ice broke up on Erie. All of this fishing occurs on the Eastern Basin, the difference in photos from Friday afternoon to Saturday is the "look" due to the snow melting. The Eastern Basin is still iced across.

In this photo the arrow points to the crack that formed off of Crane Creek. Technically, there was no ice floe drifting out to open water. It was a crack that opened up a 100 yards and went no further. That is not open water beyond the crack, simply different looking ice.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/542/Crane_Creek.jpg

[Trippin' Dipsies]

The really, really important thing to realize is that it is their job, plain and simple. When the Coast Guard and local police departments start to whine and cry about having to do their job description then we are in trouble as a society. Let them keep on crying about it long enough and they will start to whine about having to go out on a rainy afternoon to rescue a boat that ran out of gas. Bad situation if this keeps up.

The money spent is our tax dollars. If they do not spend it on a rescue they will spend it on practicing for a rescue but spend it they will.

I couldn't have stated it better.

[salmonslammer]

The pond isn't looking that great now either...


http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/data/2009/jpg/t1.09039.1540.LakeErie.143.250m.jpg

Amazing how fast it changes out there.....

Watch those west winds....:tdo12:

[Trippin' Dipsies]

We just watched it on the news, that Sherrif and his mouth out to rethink how he shoots it off. He is in an elected position, and I am pretty certain those fellas thought they were safe.

The CG was very professional in their statements, saying that ice fishing is a culture, it brings millions of dollars to area, and this what we are trained to do. On the other, Sheriff Bratton has a long standing dislike for ice fishermen. Not only do comments like these confirm this, but also the fact I know firsthand of dozens of fishermen who were forced back onto the ice to get to their vehicles.

You see, the guys who made it east went around the crack and headed immediately to shore and used Highway 2 (via ATV) to get back to Crane Creek. Upon getting to the entrance of CC, a sheriff's deputy was blocking the entrance & called back to Sheriff Bratton to see if they were allowed access to their vehicles. His was reply was no. When they asked for the the reasoning, he replied, probably spite. Upon the questioning the deputy about the liability of sending all of these ice fishermen back onto the ice, he replied with, I could always write you a ticket for driving down the highway.

So these guys (I heard at least 20) were sent back down Highway 2 for 4 miles, then back onto the ice (for 4 miles) to get back their vehicles. All the while they simply should of have been able to drive their ATV's the 1/2 mile paved drive thru CC to get to their trucks.

I know one of the fishermen spoke to CNN about this morning, as they were shocked by the Sheriff's comments.

[Trippin' Dipsies]

I talked to a buddy of mine who was down that way yesterday, and he made mention that it would have been fine except for the big boat that came out thru the Maumee and opened up about 100 ft path that gave that ice the opportunity to move and open up like that.

Only Toledo TV-13 made mention of this and was a very important role in shifting the ice.

[mrymar]

When did the cutter go thru? I read 7 days ago, and I also read yesterday???

Looking at the sat images in that 21 hour span, the ice way out there sure moved ALOT.

[CASTMASTER 5000]

Being from Canada and all I guess I'm an outsider looking in. But as far as that Sherrif is concerned. He should be fired! Any media attention that I've seen, made no mention of anything but how stupid ice fisherman are. He really made himself look like a d ick! Don't get me worng. I firmly believe that those guys had no buisness crossing that pressure crack in an offshore wind. Common sense was obviously left at the shoreline by many poeple. But that as shole sherrif is way out of line. It really is a shame that he had to leave the dohnut shop to do his job. Time to hire somebody that actually lives on this planet and wants to help people when they are in distress. Not this jerkoff who is just looking for media attention so he can be the hero. The heros were the guys that train everyday for situations just like this one. The heros are the guys who didn't think twice about landing their helicorter on 2' of ice and shuttling the 15o people 200 yards to safety. Sorry about the sarcasm, but it is not that big a rescue other than the numbers of people that were brought ashore. On a side note. I'm going to leave Colchester Ontario by air boat tomorro and claim salvage rights to a couple of nice 4 wheeleers and probably a brand new/used shanty,fully rigged with rods, buckets, tackle and heaters. Sorry fella's! Should have stayed home yesterday!:lol:

[jrsoup]

Let us know if you are going to have a yard sale. :lol:

[Groundsize]

What will happen to all the fishing gear, quads, and other stuff out on the ice? If there are guys who go out there can they take what they want if it is abbandond?

[CASTMASTER 5000]

What will happen to all the fishing gear, quads, and other stuff out on the ice? If there are guys who go out there can they take what they want if it is abbandond?


I would assume that there are some sort of salvage rights inplace for just that sort of thing.:confused: Really is a shame to lose all that gear. But better than losing a life I guess. Judging from the satellite pics the lake is breaking up fast! Those guys can probably kiss that stuff goodbye.
http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/data/2009/jpg/a1.09039.1903.LakeErie.143.250m.jpg

[arrigo1]

The really, really important thing to realize is that it is their job, plain and simple. When the Coast Guard and local police departments start to whine and cry about having to do their job description then we are in trouble as a society. Let them keep on crying about it long enough and they will start to whine about having to go out on a rainy afternoon to rescue a boat that ran out of gas. Bad situation if this keeps up.

The money spent is our tax dollars. If they do not spend it on a rescue they will spend it on practicing for a rescue but spend it they will.

You have to be kidding. First of all, I haven't read any whining or crying from the CG about having to do their job. Another poster merely pointed out that we, the taxpayers, end up paying for the poor decisions of those who put themselves at risk.

Secondly, the cost of this rescue cannot be compared to that of a training exercise. From what I have read, units were called in from as far as Traverse City, which drastically increased the cost. Not to mention the magnitude of resources required to pull off a rescue of this size.

Third, the fact that they would have spent the money anyways may be true, but your argument is rediculous. The CG is budgeted a certain amount of money and is pressured to operate within that budget (which is funded by our taxpayer dollars). That money is then allocated to their various operating expenses, i.e. equipment, maintenence, training, patrol, rescue, etc. If they have to spend too much on rescue, they have to make cuts in their other expenditures, resulting in inferior or poorly maintained equipment, inadequate training, or reduced patroling. So...when funds are used for avoidable rescues of people who put themselves in high risk situations, the public suffers. You may not see it itemized on your tax bill, but you are still paying for these avoidable expenses.

That being said, I am not attacking those involved in this incident because I wasn't there and don't know how obvious the risk was or what extenuating circumstances were involved. I am happy that most were rescued safely and my condolences go out to the family of the deceased.

[jiggineyes]

I keep seeing posts/photos showing how the ice broke up on Erie. All of this fishing occurs on the Eastern Basin, the difference in photos from Friday afternoon to Saturday is the "look" due to the snow melting. The Eastern Basin is still iced across.

In this photo the arrow points to the crack that formed off of Crane Creek. Technically, there was no ice floe drifting out to open water. It was a crack that opened up a 100 yards and went no further. That is not open water beyond the crack, simply different looking ice.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/542/Crane_Creek.jpg

That arrow is not pointing at crane creek! That is just east of maumee bay. Crane creek is in the eastern basin just east of cedar point. Basically right where the open water starts. The ice/ blue water line is the islands! They were not on an iceburg in the middle of the lae like some mad it out to be. The crack simply seperated causing the bridge to collapse. Alot of the guys were able to go down the crack 5 miles or so to where the crack was still closed up! that is not the flow they were stuck on.

[Tom (mich)]

That arrow is not pointing at crane creek! That is just east of maumee bay. Crane creek is in the eastern basin just east of cedar point.
You're thinking of Cranberry Creek, which is east of Cedar Point. The arrow is, in fact, pointing at the Crane Creek/Catawba area.

[William H Bonney]

Who do you think pays for it genius? :rolleyes:

It's ALREADY paid for genius... there's no EXTRA charge!!:rolleyes:

[Huron River Dan]

Is West of Port Clinton and is in the Western Basin of Lake Erie. IMO the media is saying a lot of things that are inaccurate at best; but sensationalism is the name of their game. The CG spokesman got very little "Air" time as compared to the Ottawa County Sheriff. That being said; it was not the best judgement to be out in an open unprotected area in those winds.

My prayers to the Family of the man who died...

Dan

[BFG]

You see, the guys who made it east went around the crack and headed immediately to shore and used Highway 2 (via ATV) to get back to Crane Creek. Upon getting to the entrance of CC, a sheriff's deputy was blocking the entrance & called back to Sheriff Bratton to see if they were allowed access to their vehicles. His was reply was no. When they asked for the the reasoning, he replied, probably spite. Upon the questioning the deputy about the liability of sending all of these ice fishermen back onto the ice, he replied with, I could always write you a ticket for driving down the highway.

So these guys (I heard at least 20) were sent back down Highway 2 for 4 miles, then back onto the ice (for 4 miles) to get back their vehicles. All the while they simply should of have been able to drive their ATV's the 1/2 mile paved drive thru CC to get to their trucks.


I had friends who were out there, got off the ice down by Camp Perry. Long ride for sure, but they didn't panic and knew what they were doing. In fact, they called others to tell 'em about how to get across. They plucked 134 off with airboats. Prolly another 250 got across by Camp Perry. The media grabbed every wide-eyed noob they could find and interviewed 'em. The Sheriff? He should get lambasted for not letting those guys back in to get their trucks. His local economy DEPENDS on fishing $$$...

The guy who died did so in the ambulance on the way to the ER. His sled got stuck in a slush pocket near shore, and those with him helped him to get it out. He had a heart condition, and the added stress involved ended up causing his death.

The cutter going through the area to the north of W. Sister is what screwed it all up. The crack that opened is the same crack that is there every single year. The plywood was not a "bridge"...good God I wish people would quit saying that...the path through that area was getting pretty beaten up, and the plywood helped to keep sleds and quads from having to run through a 10' section of slush. The ice was no less than 15" thick in that spot according to my buddy who drilled a hole near there on Friday.

Sure...the conditions were prime for such a thing to happen, but the reality is that the entire western basin was locked tight until that cutter and freighter screwed it up. You wanna pass blame around, don't forget to mention the company who did that and the media for not saying a thing about it.

[Captain]

:yeahthat: 2 of the best responses on this whole thread...

[twohats]

but the reality is that the entire western basin was locked tight until that cutter and freighter screwed it up. You wanna pass blame around, don't forget to mention the company who did that and the media for not saying a thing about it.

Ya, the media should have mentioned it. But, the people on the cutter and freighter should NOT have to stop working do to ice fishing.

[eyecatcher]

I guess I just don't understand the thinking of guys out icefishing getting into a panic because a crack opens and they float a little. They were on 15 inches to 2 feet of ice, on a flow that was 8 mile long. Why the hell would anyone need to be rescued from that? It will come to shore and you can drive off where ever it lands. Its not like you fishing on an ocean with hundreds of miles of open water.This crap of driving an ice breaker or cutter through the area is insanity. open a bigger gap so you put people at risk who are not in any danger yeah thats real smart.

I have fished on LSC many times when the wind moved the ice we were on, no one wenrt into a panic. We all got off when the ice hit shore or ice that was against the shore. None of us ever got so much as damp feet. If these people or the people who run the rescue operations are that stupid its a wonder that don't all drive off a pier and drown. I mean my gods use a little common since. The media will always blow things like this way out of proportion to sell a few more of their fish wrapers.

[Dutchlund]

I know I'm gonna get hammered for this, but I was out there. We were some of the ones who got off down by Camp Perry, but it was a long and very wet ride (water was a foot deep in a lot of places). Also, the guy who died (pray for his family) wasn't on the floe, they were fishing closer to shore, and headed in when they saw the Coast Guard and all the excitement. He went through a thin spot in very shallow (3 ft) of water, stepped of his quad, got on his sons quad and had a heart attack. The media got the story very wrong.

Thanks for the info about the cutter and freighter. That explains a LOT. Thanks also to Captain Mike out of Port Clinton who gave us the advice (by cell phone) to head east to get around the crack.

[Revpilot]

A salvage licesned airboat operator was bringing atv and sleds and gear back across sunday am. It was 250 dollars a pop. My friend said when he left there were only a few more left to bring across. So hopefully everyone got their machines back.

[4 Car Garage]

I know I'm gonna get hammered for this, but I was out there. We were some of the ones who got off down by Camp Perry, but it was a long and very wet ride (water was a foot deep in a lot of places). Also, the guy who died (pray for his family) wasn't on the floe, they were fishing closer to shore, and headed in when they saw the Coast Guard and all the excitement. He went through a thin spot in very shallow (3 ft) of water, stepped of his quad, got on his sons quad and had a heart attack. The media got the story very wrong.

Thanks for the info about the cutter and freighter. That explains a LOT. Thanks also to Captain Mike out of Port Clinton who gave us the advice (by cell phone) to head east to get around the crack.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090209/NEWS06/90209032/Man+who+died+on+Erie+not+on+ice+floe++family+says

[Captain]

Did the Sheriff get any part of his version correct?

[Sir Walter]

I'll try to add a little insight to what happened on Sat. because I was there fishing with my two nephews who are in their early 20's. We fished on Fri. morning and had a great day. As you know it was 15 below zero on Thurs and had been real cold for a long time. We headed out Fri. morning and there was no need to cross at the plank accross the 2ft crack but we did out of convenience. The crack was solid. We decided to go back on Sat. In my wildest dreams did I ever think that crack would open up the way it did. We got a late start and started fishing about 9am. The first hour was slow so we decided to move. Went about a half mile and a man waved us over and said to fish his holes because they had limited and it was real good. we were just setting up the portable when someone on a snowmobile came out and said the crack had opened up to 30 ft. The guys in the shanty next to us thought he was joking because they had just crossed the crack 15 minutes earlier. I told the nephews lets go because nobody would joke about something that serious. When we arrived at the crack I couldn't believe my eyes. it was at least 100ft wide as far as the eye could see. We then heard some people talking about heading east towards Catawba which was about 10 miles away. We had a full tank in the 850 Suzuki Quad of my nephew's and we headed east with about 40 other atv's. We ran parallel to the crack for about 6 miles and turned in to shore as we were finally past the crack. We were at Wild wings marina. We unhooked my portable and we rode the quad down RT2 back to Crane Creek. Now I'm always respectful to police officers but the guy at the entrance to Magee Marsh (Crane Creek) was a real jerk. We were wet and just wanted to go get the truck, load up the 4-wheeler and go back and get my nephew and go home. He said he would throw us in jail if we tried to go back there. Finally they replaced him with another officer who let my nephew go back with a photographer and get his truck. That was about 90 minutes of just sitting there waiting for no reason other then spite from the County Sheriff. The media screwed up that story so bad it was a joke. There were no fishermen floating on a 1 mile ice berg as some reported. Yes the crack opened up and you couldn't get across it. The ice on either side of the crack was at least 15 to 18 inches thick and as long as you stayed back you were in no immediate danger. The rescue squads did a fatastic job shuttling the 134 people by airboats to safety. Very few rode in Helicopters. I think a lot of guys knew they would run out of gas in their atv's so they just waited to be rescued instead of trying to reach Wild Wings. If we hadn't been next to the guys that knew where to go to get past the crack, we would have waited with everyone else. I've seen for years people being rescued on St. Clair, Saginaw Bay, and Lake Erie on the nightly news and said I would never let that happen to me, but it did and its nobody's fault but mine. Luckily I didn't have to be rescued and leave all the equipment behind. Ok go ahead pile it on. Tom

[casscityalum]

I'll try to add a little insight to what happened on Sat. because I was there fishing with my two nephews who are in their early 20's. We fished on Fri. morning and had a great day. As you know it was 15 below zero on Thurs and had been real cold for a long time. We headed out Fri. morning and there was no need to cross at the plank accross the 2ft crack but we did out of convenience. The crack was solid. We decided to go back on Sat. In my wildest dreams did I ever think that crack would open up the way it did. We got a late start and started fishing about 9am. The first hour was slow so we decided to move. Went about a half mile and a man waved us over and said to fish his holes because they had limited and it was real good. we were just setting up the portable when someone on a snowmobile came out and said the crack had opened up to 30 ft. The guys in the shanty next to us thought he was joking because they had just crossed the crack 15 minutes earlier. I told the nephews lets go because nobody would joke about something that serious. When we arrived at the crack I couldn't believe my eyes. it was at least 100ft wide as far as the eye could see. We then heard some people talking about heading east towards Catawba which was about 10 miles away. We had a full tank in the 850 Suzuki Quad of my nephew's and we headed east with about 40 other atv's. We ran parallel to the crack for about 6 miles and turned in to shore as we were finally past the crack. We were at Wild wings marina. We unhooked my portable and we rode the quad down RT2 back to Crane Creek. Now I'm always respectful to police officers but the guy at the entrance to Magee Marsh (Crane Creek) was a real jerk. We were wet and just wanted to go get the truck, load up the 4-wheeler and go back and get my nephew and go home. He said he would throw us in jail if we tried to go back there. Finally they replaced him with another officer who let my nephew go back with a photographer and get his truck. That was about 90 minutes of just sitting there waiting for no reason other then spite from the County Sheriff. The media screwed up that story so bad it was a joke. There were no fishermen floating on a 1 mile ice berg as some reported. Yes the crack opened up and you couldn't get across it. The ice on either side of the crack was at least 15 to 18 inches thick and as long as you stayed back you were in no immediate danger. The rescue squads did a fatastic job shuttling the 134 people by airboats to safety. Very few rode in Helicopters. I think a lot of guys knew they would run out of gas in their atv's so they just waited to be rescued instead of trying to reach Wild Wings. If we hadn't been next to the guys that knew where to go to get past the crack, we would have waited with everyone else. I've seen for years people being rescued on St. Clair, Saginaw Bay, and Lake Erie on the nightly news and said I would never let that happen to me, but it did and its nobody's fault but mine. Luckily I didn't have to be rescued and leave all the equipment behind. Ok go ahead pile it on. Tom

No one should pile on cause I've read the "real stories" and been on the Ohio forum and you guys did just fine..Media always blows it out so thus I never clicked on link and just waited for first hand reports..So when can you take me out there:D

[icefishin nutz]

WOW..... What a story, and one that I am sure you never want to re live. Glad to hear you & your gang made it back ok.:)

Take care,
Lisa

[BFG]

For those within the viewing area of Channel 13 (WGTV) in Toledo, watch the 5 and 6 o'clock news this evening. My friend Randy was interviewed by one of their reporters this morning regarding the incident. He was 6+ miles out when the crack opened up, and he knew what to do.

I have no problem with lake commerce continuing 12 months out of the year. I fully understand that this is a normal thing that must occur. What I would like to see is some way for ice anglers to be able to access information that details when these cutters and freighters will be running.

Now..I'm sure there is some Homeland Security language that prevents such public knowledge of the schedule, but one would think that the DNR, Coast Guard, or local authorities could be privy to the schedule at a minimum, so that advisories could be issued through the media stream.

[jimmyg]

Here is a new part to the story. I was on the Ice that day with the camera rolling for Michigan Out of Doors! We were there taping an ice fishing story with an airboat and talked about that being the only safe way to fish big water like that.

We ended up rescuing some guys on the way in, I have shots of the chopper hovering above us on the ice and throwing us a message to call headquarters. The guys I was with spent the rest of the day shuttling people off the ice.

The story won't air until next week, but its pretty cool. You can actually see us go over the 50 yards of open water on the way in.

Hope you can catch the show...

Jimmy

[Dutchlund]

Sir Walter,

Sounded like we must have been just a little ways behind you guys. Unfortunately, my buddy ran out of oil in his sled, and didn't have any extra (neither did I) so we had to tip my sled on its side, and drain a few cups of oil from my reservoir into a plastic tub that (until then) held wigglers. Once we got the oil back in his tank, we were on our way. But by then the crack had grown considerably and then turned north, blocking our passage further east. Fortunately, there was a VERY narrow passage where the north-south crack came together, and we were able to cross there. But I heard it kept opening and closing all afternoon, so some guys were able to cross others weren't. Did you have to cross another north south opening on your way back to Wild Wings (that's where we ended up too, but we had to come several miles back (we were way past the power plant before we got on the right side of the big crack).

Also, thanks to whoever it was that told me to simply take my sled over the shore ice back to Crane Creek rather than hitching a ride back to my truck. Sounds like he saved me an altercation with the sheriff (which would have been the LAST thing anybody needed...way to keep your cool).

Anyway, lots of lessons learned. Anybody want to get rid of any airboat???

[BFG]

Anybody want to get rid of any airboat???

From what I read a little big ago...there is one sitting on the bottom in 15fow right out there...

Apparently they loaded a quad onto the front of the airboat, and when they tried to get out of the open water, the boat filled.

BTW...all you guys so giddy about airboats...do they have floatation???

[mrymar]

http://erieshipnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/ice-continues-to-pose-problems-on-lake.html

Despite the recent thaw, ice continues to be a problem for tankers running on Lake Erie to and from the refineries at Nanticoke, Ontario. Three of Algoma Tankers' ships, the ALGOEAST, ALGONOVA, and ALGOSAR, have been running, with the assistance of CCGS GRIFFON, from Nanticoke to Sarnia.

Last Friday, ALGONOVA became stuck in ice outside of Ashtabula, Ohio on its way to Nanticoke. After working diligently throughout the day, the GRIFFON was able to assist the ALGONOVA as far as four miles west of Long Point before suspending operations for the night. On Saturday, south winds and warm temperatures pushed ice from the south shore of the Lake to the north, leaving the ALGONOVA stuck. The GRIFFON worked all day without success before freeing the ALGONOVA Sunday morning.

ALGONOVA finally arrived in Nanticoke during the late morning on Sunday and unloaded her cargo of petroleum products before departing on Monday evening with the GRIFFON's assistance. At the same time, on the west end of Lake Erie, ALGOEAST was escorted downbound by the USCGC HOLLYHOCK to Southeast Shoal. There, the HOLLYHOCK departed for Fairport Harbor to break open the Grand River in anticipation of the coming thaw. This is necessary to prevent the river from overrunning its banks and flooding the nearby town.

ALGONOVA and GRIFFON worked through the night heading west before the GRIFFON picked up the ALGOEAST earlier this morning to escort the vessel to Nanticoke. Reportedly, ice cover is very light on the lake until vessels arrive at a position about 25 miles west of Long Point (near Conneaut) when the ice becomes extremely heavy and windrowed.

Here are two cutters, the Griffon and the Hollyhock, working Lake Erie. Are these close to where rescue happened? The griffon is Canadian, and the hollyhock is American I believe.

Here is what the CG says about their activity - http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/443/253184/

[SomeYahoo]

Here is a new part to the story. I was on the Ice that day with the camera rolling for Michigan Out of Doors! We were there taping an ice fishing story with an airboat and talked about that being the only safe way to fish big water like that.

We ended up rescuing some guys on the way in, I have shots of the chopper hovering above us on the ice and throwing us a message to call headquarters. The guys I was with spent the rest of the day shuttling people off the ice.

The story won't air until next week, but its pretty cool. You can actually see us go over the 50 yards of open water on the way in.

Hope you can catch the show...

Jimmy

Can't wait... it's on permanent DVR record.

My prayers to the family of the fisherman who was lost... doesn't matter if it was from the breaking ice or not, it's still a loss.

Lessons learned to be sure. I was told early on by a member here to watch out of off shore winds... this just cements it.

[TVCJohn]

If anyone wants to open up the bottom 3 images in the news release, you will see the actual trackline of the CGC Mackinaw at the time of the incident. It was taken from their e-nav chart. The article goes on to say the last time any USCG ice breaking activity was in the west basin was when the USCGC Neah Bay went thru Jan 24th, 14 days prior to this incident.

Alex V posted:

The really, really important thing to realize is that it is their job, plain and simple. When the Coast Guard and local police departments start to whine and cry about having to do their job description then we are in trouble as a society. Let them keep on crying about it long enough and they will start to whine about having to go out on a rainy afternoon to rescue a boat that ran out of gas. Bad situation if this keeps up.

The money spent is our tax dollars. If they do not spend it on a rescue they will spend it on practicing for a rescue but spend it they will.


Did you or anyone else see or hear any US Coast Guardsmen/women whine about doing their job?

John





News ReleaseDate: Feb. 9, 2009
Contact: LT Dave French
(216) 902-6020 office
(216) 310-2608 cell
Coast Guard icebreakers not a factor in creating Saturday's ice floe

CLEVELAND - In the wake of Saturday's successful mass rescue of 134 ice fisherman near Oak Harbor, Ohio (http://piersystem.com/go/doc/443/253092/), media reports have quoted individuals who have suggested that a Coast Guard icebreaker may have contributed to the ice floe breaking free. The Coast Guard has reviewed its icebreaker movements and determined that Coast Guard vessel movements were not a factor in the case. The Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (http://www.uscg.mil/d9/cgcMackinaw/), homeported in Cheboygan, Mich., departed Cleveland Harbor at 9 a.m. Saturday morning on a scheduled trip up through the Detroit River via Pelee Pass north of Pelee Island, which is more than 26 nautical miles from Saturday's incident. Pelee Passage is the established shipping track. At 11:28 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Detroit (http://www.uscg.mil/d9/sectDetroit/) diverted the Mackinaw to assist in the mass rescue efforts off Locust Point.
"In cases like this where a larger number of people are in danger, we call in all available units," said Lt. Dave French, External Affairs Officer for the Ninth Coast Guard District (http://www.uscg.mil/d9/default.asp). "That call included one of our icebreakers, whose services may have been necessary to help rescuers access the scene. However, on-scene rescuers were able to the pull the 134 ice fisherman to safety before the icebreaker arrived."
The Mackinaw arrived at a point northeast of the northern tip of Kelleys Island where the ice edge began, east of the Barrier Islands at 12:43 p.m. and monitored the rescue operation without entering the ice field. Locust Point was approximately 18 nautical miles to the southwest of the Mackinaw's position. Mackinaw was later released from the case and returned north on their intended track at 1:38 p.m.
The Coast Guard has also determined that there have been no U.S. Coast Guard icebreaking efforts in the western Erie basin since January 24th, when the Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay escorted a commercial vessel from the Maumee River north toward the Detroit River.
"There is no such thing as safe ice," said French. "There is always some open water on the Great Lakes. When warm weather combines with winds pushing ice in the direction of open water, people should exercise extreme caution if they intend to go out on the ice."
Images of the Mackinaw's electronic navigation chart depicting their Feb. 7, 2009, movements can be found here: Navigation Chart IMAGE #1 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=465692), IMAGE #2 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=465695), IMAGE #3 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=465689).