STURGEON BAY — A wild day out on the ice on Lake Michigan Thursday after 66 ice anglers became stranded on several ice floes and had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. This massive rescue response happened just before the snowstorm reached the area.
Crews first received reports of stranded ice fishers near the mouth of Sturgeon Bay around 9 a.m. The Coast Guard coordinated a massive response, with help from the Wisconsin DNR and the Brown County Sheriff's Office.
After four hours of hard work, all 66 people were rescued between the three agencies, with no injuries reported. A "quick and efficient effort" was required before Thursday's major snowstorm swept through the area, the Guard explains.
“Today’s success is a direct result of effective training and the long-standing and close relationships with our agency partners in the greater Sturgeon Bay Area,” said Cmdr. Bryan Swintek, search and rescue coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, in a statement.
The Coast Guard reminds people planning on being out on the ice to check local weather beforehand, wear life jackets, dress for cold temperatures and always have a reliable means of communicating.
