What began with the report of five fishermen stranded on the ice near Lime Kiln Road & Bonis Place, in the Town of Gardner, led to the rescue of just one man Thursday afternoon. According to a report issued by the Door County Sheriff’s Department, the ice fishermen, 69-year old William Hossman of Gurnee, Illinois, 68-year old Raphael Dedecker of Mount Horeb, 60-year old Robert Traynoff of Wadsworth, Illinois, 58-year old Toua Vang of Sheboygan & 42-year old Chong Xiong of Wausau, got stuck on the ice after it started to move following the passage of the Coast Guard Cutter, Mobile Bay. When a Door County Deputy arrived, two of the five fishermen had already reached shore. They said they had fallen through the ice up to the waist, but refused medical treatment. A short time later, Vang & Xiong made it off the ice without incident. That left Traynoff who refused to leave, saying he had already fallen into the water up to his knees. Firefighters from the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department pulled a boat to Traynoff, about 100 yards North of Bonis Place, & he was taken to shore. The Illinois man also refused medical help. A Door County ambulance was on scene, as well.
