Group of 18 rescued off Lake Erie ice floe
None of the rescued individuals required medical attention.
Eighteen snowmobilers were rescued on Lake Erie Sunday after an ice floe separated from the shore near Catawaba Island, the Coast Guard announced via Twitter.
A Coast Guard airboat and Detroit helicopter helped the group, along with a good Samaritan in an airboat.
Seven people were lifted by helicopter, the Coast Guard rescued four, and the good Samaritan helped with the other seven, the coast guard said in a press release per CNN. None of the individuals involved required medical attention.
There were high winds in the area at the time of the incident. Earlier in the day, the Cleaveland arm of the National Weather Service warned people to avoid Lake Erie due to an increased risk of ice drifting away from shore.
ICE SAFETY
Ice rescues aren't uncommon in Canada and the U.S. this time of year, especially when temperatures hover around the freezing mark.
Regardless of the conditions though, people should always avoid the ice during stormy or windy days, or when a weather watch, warning, or advisory is in place.
According to the Canadian Red Cross, ice should be 15 cm thick for walking on, 20 cm thick for group skating, and 25 cm thick for snowmobile use.
"If the ice is grey or greyish, do not step out onto it," writes Weather Network science writer Scott Sutherland.
"If the ice is any shade of grey, it is likely decaying or melting, and it is probably fairly thin and weak. The source of the grey colour is typically the dark liquid water underneath showing through the ice. Even if it is very light or pale grey, it is best to err on the side of caution."