Ice rescue training file photo by Lt. Brian Dykens
CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard and local partner agencies rescued 35 people from an adrift ice floe in Superior Bay near Duluth, Minnesota, Saturday.
A Coast Guard Station Duluth ice rescue team worked with the St. Louis Fire Department and the Department of Natural Resources to respond to a report that three large groups of people were stranded on an ice floe with approximately 30 feet of open water between the ice floe and shore.
The ice rescue team deployed their SKF-ICE, an inflatable ice rescue vessel, to assist the St. Louis Fire Department. The SKF-ICE team transited the open water, reached the ice floe, and rescued all 35 persons without incident. There was one confirmed person in the water who was rescued by fire department personnel.
The Coast Guard reminds the public to exercise caution near the water. Ice is unpredictable and dangerous. Those planning on being on or near the ice should check conditions, share their plan with somebody onshore, wear the proper attire in case the ice breaks, and bring proper equipment for self-rescue and reporting.
