Coast Guard Rescues Two From Ice Floe

The Coast Guard rescued two people from an ice floe near Dyckesville, Wis., after being notified of two pickup trucks and people in distress on the ice. A Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City HH-65C Dolphin helicopter and a Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay 20-foot airboat were launched to search for people stranded on the ice after a 400-foot crack opened and a portion of the ice broke away. Door County Eagle III spotted two people on the ice and vectored in the Coast Guard airboat to their location. This is the Coast Guard's first rescue of the new year on the Great Lakes. Station Sturgeon Bay reported on scene, safely rescued the two and transported them to shore.Brussels Union and Sturgeon Bay Fire Department and other local agencies transported 10 ice fishermen to shore. Emergency Medical Services were not needed for the rescued individuals. The Coast Guard, Door County's Eagle III, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Door County Sheriff's Brussels Union, Sturgeon Bay Fire Department and other local responders combined efforts to save the people stranded on the ice. "At this early point in the cold weather season, the ice can be very unpredictable and dangerous. People should be careful if they are willing to go out on the ice and should take the necessary precautions before doing so," said Jane Willits, a command duty officer with the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland.