- The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office said Friday evening that between 75 and 100 fishermen were trapped on the ice floe that had broken away from the mainland
- They said the open water was too much to bridge and they were working to get people back to shore
- Sheriff Jason Riggs warned locals on Thursday that the ice this year was exceptionally thin and unstable: People fell in on Wednesday but survived
Rescuers in Minnesota are rushing to find 100 fishermen trapped on an ice floe that broke off and drifted away from shore.
The fishermen were ice fishing Friday at Upper Red Lake, 200 miles northeast of the city of Fargo, North Dakota, and 100 miles south of the Canadian border.
Officials said no one was believed to be in the water and rescue boats were on the way. When the news broke on Friday evening, it was 30 degrees.
On Thursday, Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs warned people that the ice was unseasonably thin.
“Most years the ice was now thick enough for vehicles and wheelhouses, and we saw a steady procession of them heading north,” he said.
“But this year isn’t like most years, and the ice is constantly changing.”
“It’s absolutely important that anyone heading out checks their thickness regularly, pays close attention to the weather and has a plan in place in case the worst happens and they end up in the water.”
Ice floes are pictured on Upper Red Lake in northern Minnesota. A group of ice fishermen were trapped in the ice on Friday evening
The day before, sheriffs responded to reports of two men who had fallen through the ice on the lake.
When they got there, the men had reached the shore: they were cold but unharmed.
“Recent rain and persistent above-freezing temperatures have caused ice conditions to worsen,” the sheriffs wrote on Facebook.
“Across the region, many ice houses are falling through the ice and cannot be removed because recovery teams report the ice is too weak.” They are confident they can safely remove the property given the colder weather ahead.
“If you decide to go on the ice, check the thickness regularly and know where you're traveling.” Check with area resorts before heading out on the ice.