Ice floe detaches from a Minnesota lake and leaves up to 100 fishermen stranded: Sheriffs say the open water is too large to bridge
- The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office said Friday evening that between 75 and 100 fishermen were stuck on the ice floe, which broke away from the mainland.
- They said the open water is too much to cross, and they are working to get people back on land
- Sheriff Jason Riggs warned locals on Thursday that the ice was exceptionally thin and unstable this year: people fell in on Wednesday but lived
Rescuers in Minnesota are rushing to catch 100 fishermen trapped on an ice floe that broke loose and drifted away from shore.
The fishermen were ice fishing Friday on Upper Red Lake, 200 miles northeast of the North Dakota city of Fargo and 100 miles south of the Canadian border.
Officials said no one is believed to be in the water and rescue boats are on their way. When the news broke on Friday evening, it was 30 degrees.
On Thursday, Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs warned people that the ice was unusually thin.
“Most years the ice would be thick enough by now for vehicles and wheelhouses, and we would see a steady procession of them moving north,” he said.
“But this year is not 'most years' and the ice is constantly changing.
'It is absolutely essential that anyone going out checks the thickness regularly, pays close attention to the weather and has a plan in place in case the worst happens and they end up in the water.'
