There was an ice rescue operation Sunday afternoon near Little Sturgeon in the town of Gardner. Shortly before 3:00PM, the call came in for 6 ice fishermen stranded on a slab of fast ice which had broken off and was floating out into the bay. Brussels-Union-Gardner assistant fire chief Ryan Wery explains the slab’s distance from shore and what happened upon their arrival …
Also on scene at the end of Claflin Park Road were the Door County Sheriff’s Department, Door County E.M.S., and Gardner E.M.R.s. It was reported that earlier the morning a visible ice crack was reported and the weather conditions were windy as well. Assistant Fire Chief Wery says the winds limited the rescue effort to the 2 airboats …
A Coast Guard helicopter was also called to the scene, but the rescue was already completed by the time it arrived. All 6 ice fishermen were safely brought to shore by about 4:15PM, and there were no injuries. Assistant Chief Wery now recommends staying off the ice until next winter.
