1 DEAD –150 RESCUED FROM LAKE ERIE
One man is dead and 150 others had to be rescued Sunday afternoon after an ice floe broke away from land in Western Lake Erie according to Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Robert Lanier.
Lanier said during a press conference that they received a call from an ice fisherman at 10:45am Sunday morning informing the Coast Guard that more than 100 people were stranded near Locust Point – east of Toledo. “Helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, Ohio State University and Monroe County participated in rescuing 150 people.” Lanier said airboats and hovercrafts were also used during the rescue. “Unfortunately two people were in the water – one of the men recovered was brought to shore and the other man was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.”
Lanier described ice fishing and recreation on the ice as a “culture in the Great Lakes.”
Ottawa County Sheriff Bob Bratton was not so kind in his words during the press conference as he questioned why the people were out there in the first place. “These people endangered the lives of the volunteer Firemen and the United States Coast Guard. I have already estimated that this rescue has exceeded $25,000.00 and I’m sure that will go much higher. I’m sorry a man lost his life out there but these people should have known better.”
Bratton said that the fisherman had to create a makeshift bridge to get from one section of the ice to the other – causing them to be further away. “Then the weather changed; the temps went up and the winds were out of the south. These are all indicators that a break could occur. I don’t want people to have the attitude that we can go out on the ice no matter what and if you get caught, we’ll be there to get you – we’ll bring you in.”
"If there was a section in the code about common sense, we would have had 150 arrests out there today." Bratton said.
Lanier said during a press conference that they received a call from an ice fisherman at 10:45am Sunday morning informing the Coast Guard that more than 100 people were stranded near Locust Point – east of Toledo. “Helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, Ohio State University and Monroe County participated in rescuing 150 people.” Lanier said airboats and hovercrafts were also used during the rescue. “Unfortunately two people were in the water – one of the men recovered was brought to shore and the other man was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.”
Lanier described ice fishing and recreation on the ice as a “culture in the Great Lakes.”
Ottawa County Sheriff Bob Bratton was not so kind in his words during the press conference as he questioned why the people were out there in the first place. “These people endangered the lives of the volunteer Firemen and the United States Coast Guard. I have already estimated that this rescue has exceeded $25,000.00 and I’m sure that will go much higher. I’m sorry a man lost his life out there but these people should have known better.”
Bratton said that the fisherman had to create a makeshift bridge to get from one section of the ice to the other – causing them to be further away. “Then the weather changed; the temps went up and the winds were out of the south. These are all indicators that a break could occur. I don’t want people to have the attitude that we can go out on the ice no matter what and if you get caught, we’ll be there to get you – we’ll bring you in.”
"If there was a section in the code about common sense, we would have had 150 arrests out there today." Bratton said.
View map of the area: CLICK HERE
posted by TMC NEWS at 6:28 PM
1 Comments:
the warmest day of the season and windy lets go out on the ice after it had alot of time to melt.. these people should be ticketed for being so stupid.. sad someone had to lose a life but it was there own problem. Sad we had to put fd and uscg in danger because some people dont use there brain...
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