122 Rescued From Ice Floe on Minnesota Lake, Officials Say

Authorities in Minnesota said they rescued 122 fishermen who became stranded on an ice floe when it detached from the shoreline on Upper Red Lake on Friday evening, December 29.

The large group ended up more than 30 feet from the shore, and four people fell in the water when bystanders tried to evacuate people via canoe, according to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. Those four people were “brought back to the ice floe to warm in a fishing shelter,” they added.

Emergency responders got the first four fishermen off the ice floe at 6:40 pm. By 7:37 pm, the remaining fishermen had all been evacuated, the sheriff’s office said.

No injuries were reported.

This footage from Kelliher Fire and Rescue, one of several local agencies involved in the rescue, shows responders using snowmobiles to move over the ice. Credit: Kelliher Fire and Rescue via Storyful

Video transcript

- Go for Morris.

[ENGINES REVVING]

- Yeah, I don't know if you guys got in contact with [INAUDIBLE]. But I'm wondering-- he's kind of like running people more back towards shore. I mean, should he be trying to get closer to you guys? Because it looks like they're running out with 4-wheelers and trailers to try to haul people in.

- Go for Morris.

[ENGINES REVVING]

- Yeah, I don't know if you guys got in contact with [INAUDIBLE]. But I'm wondering-- he's kind of like running people more back towards shore. I mean, should he be trying to get closer to you guys? Because it looks like they're running out with 4-wheelers and trailers to try to haul people in.

- Go for Morris.

[ENGINES REVVING]

- Yeah, I don't know if you guys got in contact with [INAUDIBLE]. But I'm wondering-- he's kind of like running people more back toward shore. I mean, should he be trying to get closer to you guys? Because it looks like they're running out with 4-wheelers and trailers to try to haul people in.

- Go for Morris.

[ENGINES REVVING]

- Yeah, I don't know if you guys got in contact with [INAUDIBLE]. But I'm wondering-- he's kind of like [? running ?] people more back towards shore. I mean, should he be trying to get closer to you guys? Because it looks like they're running out with 4-wheelers and trailers to try to haul people in.