CATAWBA ISLAND, Ohio — Eighteen people were rescued after being trapped on floating ice on Lake Erie off the Ohio shore, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday.
They were stuck near Catawba Island when the ice floe broke away as they were snowmobiling, WTOL-TV reported.
Update 4:25 p.m. EST Feb. 6: The U.S. Coast Guard said the final number of people rescued from an ice floe was 18. None of the people needed medical attention, the agency said in a tweet.
#BREAKING Final number rescued from ice floe near #CatawbaIsland in #LakeErie today was 18; none needed medical attention. Photo below taken by Coast Guard helicopter crew. More details in attached news release at: https://t.co/NZcrCLU7mg #GreatLakesWinterSafety pic.twitter.com/9VrwW7DQQe
— USCG Great Lakes (@USCGGreatLakes) February 6, 2022
Original report: Catawba Island is located halfway between Cleveland and Toledo.
UPDATE: About 20 people are safe after they got stuck on the ice while snowmobiling near Catawba Island on Sunday afternoon. https://t.co/w23pB3faT8
— WTOL 11 (@WTOL11Toledo) February 6, 2022
The Coast Guard Station Marblehead’s airboat, along with a helicopter from Air Station Detroit, worked on the rescue effort, according to WTOL.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service in Cleveland warned about the possibility of drifting ice, WTVG-TV reported.
“Dangerous ice conditions could develop causing people to become trapped on the ice,” the agency said Saturday.
Winds will increase from the southwest with gusts to 25 MPH possible Sunday. You are urged to stay off the ice on Lake Erie as there is the possibility that the ice will drift away from shore. Dangerous ice conditions could develop causing people to become trapped on the ice. pic.twitter.com/a7scZL61uS
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) February 6, 2022
On Feb. 7, 2009, similar weather conditions caused an ice floe to break away in Ottawa County. One man died and 130 other people had to be rescued when a chunk of ice nearly eight miles wide broke loose and floated about 2,950 feet from the shoreline, WTOL reported.
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