The United States Coast Guard Great Lakes on Sunday rescued 10 people – including three children – who were trapped on ice floes torn from the shore of Edgewater Park in Cleveland.
Rescue officials and the U.S. Coast Guard received a call around 2:30 p.m. Sunday about a group of people who had walked onto Lake Erie’s ice, which had subsequently broken into two separate ice floes.
Initial reports said only a few people were rescued, but that was later increased to 10, seven of whom were adults and three children.
The USCG’s Ice rescue team from Cleveland Harbor Station and local agencies were on site. Detroit Air Station also sent a helicopter to support.
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The USCG said its team rescued six people via an ice ship. The other four were escorted off the ice by the Cleveland Fire Department.
Lake Erie near Edgewater Park in Cleveland.
(WJW)
Over the years, many people have had to be rescued from ice floes that had broken off in Lake Erie. In March 2019, the Coast Guard and several other agencies rescued 46 ice fishermen from an ice floe, NBC News reported.
In 2009, 134 fishermen were stranded and then rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement agencies in a rescue effort that made national news, The Associated Press reported.
Hours before Sunday’s rescue, the USCG Great Lakes, citing the National Weather Service of Cleveland, warned of dangerous weather and urged residents “not to go on the ice and take steps to protect and protect yourself. help out”.
NWS Cleveland had warned that “dangerous ice conditions will develop in the next few days. It is recommended that you stay off the ice on Lake Erie, as ice areas can break off the coast.”
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“You can do us a big favor by telling the audience, ‘Don’t walk on the ice,'” said a Cleveland emergency crew captain, quoted by Cleveland 19. “The lake is not frozen.”