Date: December 29, 2007 

Contact: LT Wade Hedinger
(313) 568-9560, phone

USCG RESPONDS, ASSISTS SIX FROM ICE FLOES IN SAGINAW BAY 

SAGINAW BAY, Mich - U.S. Coast Guard crews responded to and assisted six men from two separate ice floe incidents yesterday.

All six men are in good condition.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit received a distress call, at 3:06 p.m., from 911 dispatchers reporting that four men were stranded on an ice floe southwest of Fish Point, Mich.  The men were fishing on the ice when it broke away from shore.  Sector Detroit issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB).

Coast Guard Station Saginaw River launched their 20-foot ice rescue boat and arrived on scene at the same time as a Good Samaritan boat responding to the UMIB.  Saginaw River retrieved two of the men, the Good Samaritan the other two, and all were transported safely to Thomas Marina.

Sector Detroit received a second call, at 4:08 p.m., from 911 dispatchers as the initial four men were being transferred to shore.  The second incident reported two men stranded on a separate ice floe drifting southwest of Fish Point, Mich.

The Saginaw River crew maneuvered their boat through less than a quarter-mile visibility toward the estimated position of the men in distress.  Sector Detroit worked with the 911 dispatch center to obtain GPS coordinates from the men's cell phone and directed the Coast Guard boat to the position.  The Saginaw River crew located the men on thin, unstable ice.  Once on board the Coast Guard boat, the men were taken to Thomas Marina where they were checked by local EMS and released to their families.

The two men were both in their mid 30's.  One was from Kingston, Mich., and the other from Marysville, Mich.

Sector Detroit reminds the public that no ice is safe ice.  Due to the recent warm weather and shifting winds, ice conditions on Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie are extremely unstable and hazardous.  If you choose to venture onto the ice-covered lakes or rivers, consider the following safety tips:

1. Have a VHF-FM radio, cell phone, rope, whistle, flashlight, compass and flares.
2. Dress in layers and bright colors; a dry suit is best.  Wear a personal floatation device.
3. Notify a responsible person of where you will go on the ice, who is with you, when you will return, and your cell phone number so they can contact you or you can contact response agencies.
4. Take some type of "ice awls" and have them attached to your body.  They can be used as spikes to pull yourself out of, onto or across the ice if you break through.
5. Be weather wise.  Be aware of the temperature and wind direction for the previous days before you venture out, as well as the current day's forecast.  Strong winds in any direction breaks up the ice.
6. Do not go out on the ice alone.  Stay in the area with other people nearby.
7. Do not cross a pressure crack or open water; you could end up on an ice floe.

Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the public that danger may arise at any time while on the ice.  Heed the above safety precautions.  To report a person in distress or the need for search and rescue, you can contact the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit Operations Center, 24-hours, at (313) 568-9560.

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