AKRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – More than a dozen people were rescued from an ice floe Monday night near Fish Point in Saginaw Bay.
The U.S. Coast Guard for the Detroit area said at 8:40 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, that it received a report that up to 30 people were trapped on an ice floe near Thomas Road at Fish Point in Tuscola County. Rescue efforts were carried out by several Michigan coast guard stations, officials said.
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A total of 14 people were rescued by an airboat and by helicopters. It appears some people may have been trapped on the ice, while others may have been in the actual water.
They were all taken to “local EMS for monitoring,” the coast guard said.
It was believed all individuals were rescued, but a helicopter went out afterward to conduct an “extended search to ensure there was no one left on the ice floe or in the water.” Officials have not reported finding anyone else since.
Authorities also did not report how the 14 people got trapped on the ice floe, which is a sheet of ice floating in a body of water. The coast guard is warning anyone who is ice fishing or engaged in “other recreational ice activities” to remember that the ice is dangerous and unpredictable. People are urged to “check the weather, wear bright colors, and be aware of when sunset is.”