Date: February 13, 2008 

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

  TWO RESCUED FROM ICE ON SAGINAW BAY 

SAGINAW BAY, Mich. - A man and woman were rescued from the ice the evening of February 12^th.  They were four and a half miles offshore and became stranded when their 4 wheeled ATV broke down.  The woman was pregnant, and she and the man were unable to return to shore safely on their own.

The two persons called the Linwood Beach Marina for assistance at 5:40pm, and information was relayed to the Coast Guard.  Coast Guard Station Saginaw River established communications and confirmed the location.  The stranded persons had a GPS and were able to provide accurate coordinates.  They then sought shelter in their portable ice shanty while awaiting rescue.

Coast Guard Station Saginaw River responded with their 20 foot ice rescue boat.  In visibility of less than one quarter of a mile, the boat crew made its way carefully toward the GPS position.  After the persons were brought on board, they were transported to the Station and were driven to the Linwood Beach Marina.  The two were from Midland, MI, and in their mid 20's.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the public that no ice is safe ice. Equipment failure, decreases in visibility and unstable ice can cause you to become stranded or fall into the water.  If you choose to venture onto ice-covered lakes or rivers, please consider the following safety tips:

1. Pack a VHF-FM radio, cell phone, rope, whistle, flashlight, compass and red flares.  Have a means to definitively determine your location.

2. Dress in layers and bright colors; a dry suit is best.  Wear a personal flotation device.

3. Ensure you 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 if you have one.

4. Take some type of "ice awls" and have them attached to your body.  They are used as spikes to pull yourself up on the ice if you break through.

5. Be aware of the temperature and wind direction for the previous few days before you venture out, as well as the day's forecast.  Strong wind in any direction can break up the ice. 

6. Do not go on the ice alone.  Stay in the area with other persons nearby.

7. Do not cross a pressure crack or open water; you could end up on an ice flow.

Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the public that danger may arise at any time while on the ice.  Please 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 a day at 313-568-9560.

###