On Friday, a floe of ice detached from a fishing zone near the coast of Upper Red Lake in Minnesota, resulting in over 100 individuals being saved, as confirmed by nearby authorities.
According to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, 122 individuals were rescued, and four among them had ended up in the chilly lake after being previously saved with a canoe by residents.
As per the statement from the Sheriff’s Office, these individuals were guided back onto the ice floe and sought shelter in a fishing enclosure to recover from hypothermia.
Around 5 p.m., emergency services received a notification about people trapped on an ice floe. Thankfully, by 7:37 p.m., all individuals stranded were rescued and safely evacuated with no injuries.
Several organizations worked together in response to the crisis.
The Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that there were no reported injuries.
On Friday, temperature levels in the area had fluctuations as reported by the National Weather Service. The recorded readings ranged from 15 degrees Celsius to a maximum of 38 degrees Celsius. Though it was considered as the hottest day during that period, wind chill factors brought down temperatures making them feel like they were only in their low thirties Fahrenheit range.
The weather was mainly enjoyable with intermittent formations of clouds, while the atmosphere remained largely clear – an ideal condition for practicing ice fishing.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Enforcement Division has issued a warning regarding the unstable and inconsistent thickness of ice this season, especially in northern regions.
Last Thursday, the division posted a statement on the Facebook page stating that there is an ongoing fluctuation and inconsistency in the current ice conditions. They declared that new transparent layers of ice can only form with continuous cold weather; thus, improving its quality will take some time.
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In Northern Minnesota, the Upper Red Lake is located within the confines of the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
