  Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 473 Registered: 07-2008 |
Sheriff: 1 dead, 100-plus rescued from Lake Erie By JOHN SEEWER – 1 hour ago OAK HARBOR, Ohio (AP) — A miles-wide ice floe broke away Saturday from Lake Erie's shoreline, trapping more than 100 fishermen, some for as long as four hours. One person fell into the water and later died. The rest of the 100 to 125 fishermen were safe by late afternoon; many were plucked from the ice by rescuers who glided along in air boats. "We were in no danger," said Norb Pilaczynski of Swanton, Ohio, who was rescued from the lake along with several of his friends. "We knew there was enough ice out there." Earlier in the morning, fishermen used wooden pallets to bridge a crack in the ice so they could go out farther on the lake. But temperatures rose into the 40s, and the planks fell into the water when the ice shifted, stranding the fishermen about 1,000 yards offshore. The person who died fell into the water while searching with others for a link to the shoreline, Ottawa County Sheriff Bob Bratton said. Others tried CPR before the person was flown to a hospital and pronounced dead, he said. "We get people out here who don't know how to read the ice," Bratton said. "What happened here today was just idiotic. I don't know how else to put it." Several ships and helicopters from Toledo and Marblehead, Ohio, and Detroit were sent to rescue the people from the ice floe. Mike Sanger of Milwaukee said the crack had been tighter earlier in the morning. "I was told the lake was froze all the way across," said Sanger, 51. "I didn't think the lake could go anywhere." Ice on western sections of Lake Erie was up to 2 feet thick Saturday, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Randel said. The ice cracked as temperatures rose and winds of up to 35 mph pushed on the ice.... 5o degrees, 30mph offshore wind, sunshine, ???!!! | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 3698 Registered: 11-2007 |
"Stupid is, as Stupid Does" | ||
Zimm Member Username: Zimm Post Number: 101 Registered: 10-2006 |
in addition to paying for their rescue, these dumb asses should never again be eligible for a fishing license. | ||
Sludgedaddy Member Username: Sludgedaddy Post Number: 279 Registered: 01-2008 |
...yeah, but were the perch and walleyes biting? | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 475 Registered: 07-2008 |
Darwin was at work....... I especially like the part where they laid boards across the breach in the ice so that they could get farther out.....while a 30mph wind was blowing out! | ||
Johnnny5 Member Username: Johnnny5 Post Number: 706 Registered: 06-2005 |
No reason to completely stay off the ice yet, but you need to be very cautious in areas with runoff or with open water like Lake Erie. Unless we get some significant rain the next few days the freezing nighttime temperatures will keep this ice around for a while. I'm heading out tomorrow on a local inland lake, 14" of ice and no worries about taking a ride with the Coasties! =) | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 4383 Registered: 02-2005 |
They crossed a breach in the ice to go out further? Wow...our Ohio friends. | ||
Detmi7mile Member Username: Detmi7mile Post Number: 156 Registered: 12-2007 |
"We were in no danger" "We knew there was enough ice out there" ....ummm excuse me?? | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 906 Registered: 08-2007 |
I miss Ice Fishing.But even back then I was the last on the ICE. I don,t think I would go on it on a 50 degree day though. | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 1910 Registered: 11-2003 |
I guess there are some people you should just give the fish to. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4462 Registered: 02-2004 |
People are still doing ice fishing out the Great Lakes are years. Some not knowing what whold happen to them if they standing in thin ice. Unlike those people who were fishing in thin ice out in Lake Erie, the state forces have to the whole army just to save a few. Guess who's paying the bill? US. Wait til you all get your W2's when tax day approaches. Those people who were being saved should pay the tax for doing a stupid act. | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 5702 Registered: 04-2005 |
Danny, for once, I totally agree with you.... I think | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 3708 Registered: 11-2007 |
Jcole - can you translate that for me ?  | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1696 Registered: 05-2005 |
quote: this guy should've been left on the ice, since it was so safe and all | ||
Homer Member Username: Homer Post Number: 392 Registered: 08-2004 |
Best quote yet. From the Toledo Blade. Chief Stanton of Jerusalem Township said that some fishermen were stopped yesterday as they tried to return to the ice to retrieve equipment. "It wouldn't surprise me seeing people back there [today]," Chief Stanton said. "We can't stop them permanently. They have the right to be stupid, I guess. But it's disheartening for my guys to see them going right back out there." | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 3711 Registered: 11-2007 |
You have to read the ice. I fish on small lakes for Crappie, but hesitate to go on the big lakes. The same goes for the DN ice boaters - nothing is more fun than sailing into a ice fissure at 50 MPH. I used to live on the Lake St. Clair shore and saw it all the time. Thank you, rescuers. http://www.127wg.ang.af.mil/ph otos/index.asp?page=2 http://www.piersystem.com/go/d oc/443/143779/ | ||
Purpleheart Member Username: Purpleheart Post Number: 33 Registered: 01-2009 |
I like my fish served to me on a platter with plenty of fries. The best place is Big Boy's but I remember a place where mom and dad used to get it on Gratiot and Stephens in East Detroit. Freezing my butt off on a frozen lake sitting on a bucket waiting for a flag to appear from a hole is not my way of an enjoyable afternoon. But if somebody else wants to do it why not? What gets me are all these cops and rescue personnel complaining about saving them. It is the job of the US Coast Guard to save them not these local yokels, if they don't want to do that type of work then they should quit! Let the Coasties do their job and shut the heck up. The cost involved and actions performed, is nothing compared to other states or places where they DO THEIR JOB! They train for this all the time, and even "invent scenarios" and go practice this. What's wrong with them saving a few stupid fishermen? There is no law against stupidity right? Even though I wouldn't do what they did, they sure have the right to do what they want to, and if that means fishing on a floating block of ice out in the middle of Lake Erie, then so be it! It is the law of nature, sometimes man wins, sometimes nature wins, this time nature won but we gave them a do over. It's kind of like Bear hunters getting mauled by a Bear. I have no compassion for the hunter and in my breath say, "Alright! score one for the animal." But I'll defend the right for that guy to be stupid, that's what the constitution says. | ||
Hamtramike Member Username: Hamtramike Post Number: 99 Registered: 12-2003 |
^^^because spending time preventing acts of stupidity prevents police from other things, like preventing crime. First responders who are busy rescuing fishermen who repeatedly make these mistakes might make better use of their time training or saving others who aren't in the running for the Darwinian awards. | ||
Purpleheart Member Username: Purpleheart Post Number: 36 Registered: 01-2009 |
That's my point! Let the Coast Guard do their JOB! The fire dept and cops need not venture out onto the ice when the Coast Guard is the authority and the specialist to do this type of rescue. BTW- In Alaska they do this all the time and you don't hear anybody complaining about it! I'm not defending these fishermen's actions, just defending their right to be stupid. I'm complaining about the cops crying about DOING THEIR JOB! | ||
Detroitbred Member Username: Detroitbred Post Number: 240 Registered: 06-2008 |
Fish are worth dying for, and risking rescuers lives too? Really? They should have to foot the bill for all of the expenses related to any rescues. Those of us with better sense than that should not have pay a dime for that. | ||
Detroitbred Member Username: Detroitbred Post Number: 241 Registered: 06-2008 |
Fish are worth dying for, and risking rescuers lives too? Really? They should have to foot the bill for all of the expenses related to any rescues. Those of us with better sense than that should not have pay a dime for that. | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 482 Registered: 07-2008 |
Purpleheart: "I remember a place where mom and dad used to get it on Gratiot and Stephens in East Detroit." Are you sure it wasn't Milroy's Fish & Chips, on Gratiot, north of 8 Mile Rd, next to Merollis? People would line up, sometimes out the door, for their delicious dinners. | ||
Purpleheart Member Username: Purpleheart Post Number: 39 Registered: 01-2009 |
yep, that's it! Milroy's couldn't beat that fish by catching it yourself. | ||
Raj313 Member Username: Raj313 Post Number: 19 Registered: 01-2009 |
I took this photo at 4:30pm 2/10/09 the temp. was 56 degrees F. Yesterdays high was 45 degrees F.  |
