CLEVELAND — A U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew airlifted two teenagers who were adrift on an ice floe in Rondeau Bay this morning.

The names of the men, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, are not being released.

Search and rescue controllers at the Coast Guard's 9th District Command Center were contacted by personnel at Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton, Ontario, at 4:51 a.m., after they received a report of two men adrift on ice in the bay.  Reportedly, the men were not wearing lifejackets and had become stranded while duck hunting.

A Coast Guard Air Station Detroit aircrew was directed to launch aboard an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter.  Arriving on scene at 6:21 a.m., the aircraft's rescue swimmer was lowered to the ice and both men were airlifted into the helicopter.

They were taken to Chatham Airport, where they were turned over to awaiting EMS.

With unusually warm temperatures this winter in the Great Lakes region, people who plan to recreate on or near the water should monitor the weather and ensure they have all the recommended safety gear.  When venturing out, a person should think I.C.E. as a precaution:

Intelligence — know the weather and ice conditions, know where you are going, and know how to call for help. Never go out alone.

Clothing — have the proper clothing to prevent hypothermia. Wear a waterproof exposure suit and a life preserver.

Equipment — have the proper equipment. Carry two ice picks or screwdrivers, in case you fall in. Use these items to dig into the ice and pull yourself out. They are more effective than bare hands! Carry a whistle or noise maker to alert people that you are in distress. Carry a cellular phone or marine band radio in a waterproof container so that you can call for help if you come across trouble.

Click here for more information regarding cold water and ice safety.

CLEVELAND — A rescue aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich., rescued a male kayaker, who was stranded on South Manitou Island, Mich., Saturday evening.

The man’s name and age are not being released.

Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, received notification of the stranded kayaker at about 4 p.m., CDT Saturday from Coast Guard Station Franfront, Mich. Watchstanders at Station Frankfort were notified by Sleeping Bear Dunes State Park dispatch.

The aircrew, aboard an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter, transported the man back to Air Station Traverse City, where they were met by waiting emergency medical services. He was released in good condition. 

The Coast Guard is working with the individual to coordinate recovery of the kayak.

Paddlers are encouraged to invest in a waterproof, hand-held VHF-FM marine radio as their primary means of distress alerting on the water. Communication via VHF-FM radio provides superior alerting capabilities compared to cell phones. When a mayday is sent out via VHF-FM radio, it is a broadcast and not just a one-to-one communication; any nearby boaters can hear the distress call and offer immediate assistance.

There is no imagery available.

BAYFIELD, Wis. — The U.S. Coast Guard is issuing a warning Thursday that the unusually warm temperatures observed this year have greatly increased the possibility of weakened ice.

"Due to the unseasonably warm temperatures, the ice conditions on Lake Superior are deteriorating quickly and are inherently unsafe," said Chief Petty Officer James Robertson, officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Bayfield, Wis.

The combination of warmer temperatures and shifting winds has caused extremely hazardous ice conditions on the lake. The Coast Guard cautions the public about venturing out on the ice and reminds all citizens that ice can be dangerous and unpredictable.

Proper precautions should always be taken before heading out on the water or the ice. When venturing out, a person should think I.C.E. as a precaution:

Intelligence - know the weather and ice conditions, know where you are going, and know how to call for help. Never go out alone.

Clothing - have the proper clothing to prevent hypothermia. Wear a waterproof exposure suit and a life preserver.

Equipment - have the proper equipment. Carry two ice picks or screwdrivers, in case you fall in. Use these items to dig into the ice and pull yourself out. They are more effective than bare hands! Carry a whistle or noise maker to alert people that you are in distress. Carry a cellular phone or marine band radio in a waterproof container so that you can call for help if you come across trouble.

Click here for more information regarding cold water and ice safety.

For more information, contact Coast Guard Station Bayfield at 715-779-5100.

CLEVELAND — The U.S. Coast Guard is advising Green Bay, Wis., area residents who recreate on the ice that a U.S. Coast Guard cutter is scheduled to break ice between the Marinette/Menominee Harbor breakwall and Ports de Mortes Passage on Tuesday and Thursday of next week.

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay will be breaking ice to allow commercial vessels access to Menominee Harbor.                          

Recreational users of the ice should plan their activities carefully, use caution while on the ice and stay away from this area of operations. All ice fishermen should remove their ice shacks and equipment from these areas.

Further inquiries should be made by phone to Sault Vessel Traffic Service at 906-635-3232, or via email at sootfc@uscg.mil.

CLEVELAND ― Members of the U.S. Coast Guard, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, oil spill response organizations, Enbridge Energy Partners and several other agencies are scheduled to participate in a unique exercise out of St. Ignace, Mich., Monday through Wednesday, during which several techniques for recovering spilled oil and other hazardous materials from icy waterways will be tested and evaluated.

While the Coast Guard frequently trains for spill recovery throughout the country, this will be the first time the service has practiced such activities in icy water.

Members of the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, based in Groton, Conn., have been studying multiple recovery options for the unique conditions prevalent during Great Lakes winters. The goal of this project will be to evaluate the effectiveness of those options by recovering small amounts of peat moss and oranges, environmentally-friendly oil surrogates, from the icy waters. The results could also be useful for future responses in the Arctic.

“Fortunately, it's been about nine years since we've needed to recover a large amount of oil from an ice-covered waterway in this region, but as responders we all need to be prepared for potential accidents year round and know how to address the unique challenges we face here,” said Capt. Joseph McGuiness, commander of Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. “This collaboration is an invaluable opportunity for all the responders to come together to share our best practices, learn from each other and practice working alongside one another to safeguard the public and the environment.”

Four vessels will be involved in the project. The Port Huron, Mich., based Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, a buoy tender with ice-breaking capabilities, will deploy and evaluate a new Coast Guard cold-weather skimming system. Additionally, three commercial tugboats will deploy commercial responders and equipment. 

In addition, Enbridge Energy Partners will be deploying responders on the shoreline for training, vessels for use during demonstration and helicopter overflights.

Opportunities for interested media to attend project activities will be announced on Monday.

For information regarding the Coast Guard’s Research and Development Center, contact James Fletcher at 860-271-2659.

For information regarding Michigan Department of Environmental Quality participation, contact Ryan Blazic at 989-705-3420.

For information regarding Enbridge Pipeline participation, contact Lorraine Little, Sr. Manager – Public Affairs, at 218-269-4537.

For more information regarding other Coast Guard operations, contact the 9^th District Public Affairs Office at 216-902-6020.

CLEVELAND — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay, a 140-foot ice breaking tug homeported in Rockland, Maine, arrives at its temporary homeport at the Cleveland Moorings, Dec. 12, 2011. Thunder Bay's crew will spend the 2011-12 ice breaking season assisting the 9th Coast Guard District's ice breaking fleet throughout the Great Lakes. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener.

CLEVELAND ― The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay, a 140-foot ice breaking tug normally homeported in Rockland, Maine, is scheduled to arrive in Detroit and moor near Cobo Hall on Friday in support of the Coast Guard’s 2011-12 domestic ice breaking mission and a security zone for the 24^th Annual North American Auto Show.

The cutter Thunder Bay’s crew has been temporarily assigned to the Great Lakes during the 2011-12 ice breaking season, augmenting the 9^th Coast Guard District’s ice breaking fleet as part of the largest domestic ice breaking operations in the country.

“This has been an adventure since leaving Rockland in late November,” said Lt. Jerry Smith, commanding officer of cutter Thunder Bay. “We arrived in out temporary homeport of Cleveland after traveling 1,700 nautical miles. The trip took 14 days and was quite a journey. Once we started operating we learned that the Great Lakes are unique and special. This deployment is something the crew will remember for their entire careers.”

The cutter Thunder Bay will be available for free tours on Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Ice breaking on the Great Lakes is vital to keeping shipping lanes open. Large quantities of steel, coal, heating oil and grain ship throughout the region, and Coast Guard ice breaking services enable these shippers to transport an average of $2 billion worth of cargo each year.

LAKE HURON — Seaman Phillip Lake, lead seaman in deck department aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay, a 140-foot ice breaking tug homeported in Rockland, Maine, but temporarily assigned to the 9th Coast Guard District, stands on the cutter's bridge while underway, Jan. 16, 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Lt. Jerry Smith, commanding officer of cutter Thunder Bay.

Serving as leading seaman in cutter Thunder Bay’s Deck Department, in charge of six of the junior-most
crewmembers onboard the cutter Thunder Bay, is
Seaman Phillip Lake, a Michigan native. Recently
recognized as cutter Thunder Bay’s Sailor of the Quarter, Lake is responsible for the handling of lines during
mooring evolutions and performs the duties of helmsman and quartermaster of the watch, assisting the officer of
the deck while the ship is underway. Lake is a 2004 graduate of Salem High School in Canton, Mich., and his fiancé, Jenna, is also from Michigan.

“I grew up boating all the time out of Humbug Marina, so
it’s been really cool to go through those same waters on a Coast Guard Cutter,” said Lake. “Although, the best part about being
here in the Great Lakes is getting to come home and see
my fiancé.”

Lake is awaiting orders to Boatswains Mate “A” School, in Yorktown, Va.

Crewmembers aboard cutter Thunder Bay recently spent time breaking ice in the St. Marys River as part of
Operation Taconite, under the direction of Coast Guard Sector
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. They will now switch their primary area of responsibility to waterways near Detroit
as part of Operation Coal Shovel, under direction of
Coast Guard Sector Detroit.

Click here to follow the crew’s deployment of their Facebook page.

Click here to for a photo of the CGC Thunder Bay’s arrival in Cleveland. 

For more information contact the 9^th District Public Affairs Office at 216-902-6020.

CLEVELAND — As temperatures continue to drop, and ice begins to form across the southern portions of the Great Lakes, the Coast Guard is urging those that choose to go out onto the ice to take the proper safety precautions.

Fluctuating temperatures across the Great Lakes will cause ice that is already unpredictable and dangerous to become even more so. The Coast Guard reminds everyone to think twice before heading out onto the ice.

Although air temperatures may seem relatively warm, lake temperatures remain extremely cold. Immersion into icy water quickly leads to hypothermia and possibly death within minutes. 

Click here to read important safety tips and more information regarding the best practices for being out on frozen lakes, ponds and rivers.

For more information contact the 9th District Public Affairs Office at 216-902-6020.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Austin Straubel International Airport, Brown County Sheriff's Department, New Franken Fire Department, and more than two dozen partner agencies are scheduled to hold a mass rescue operations preparedness exercise in Green Bay, on Wednesday.

The exercise is not open to the public.  Media opportunities are outlined at the bottom of this news release.

The scenario of the exercise involves simulating the crash landing of a commuter plane with 51 passengers aboard on ice-covered Green Bay, with emergency responders from the Coast Guard and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources using rescue airboats, alongside traditional aviation and shore-based rescue assets in response to the simulated crash.

The exercise — the first of its kind, in that it will be held on an ice-covered waterway environment — is designed to test the coordinated federal/state/local response to a simulated emergency situation.  It's also the first exercise to use airboats, which the Coast Guard designates as Special Purpose Craft-Airboats.  Coast Guard SPC-AIRs were used during a real mass rescue operation, as emergency responders on airboats, helicopters, planes, ships and boats from several agencies rescued 134 people trapped on an ice floe adrift in Lake Erie in early February 2009: Click here to read a news release; click here to see aerial footage on the Coast Guard's Visual Imagery database; or on YouTube.

The exercise also comes 30 years, nearly to the day, after Air Florida Flight 90 crashed onto the 14th Street Bridge and then into the icy Potomac River in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 1982.  As a result of the crash, 74 people were killed, including 70 plane passengers and crewmembers and four people in vehicles on the bridge.

The exercise provides the participating agencies the opportunity to evaluate their response plans, capabilities and coordination to the mass rescue operation, transportation security incident and subsequent oil spill response scenario in a maritime, cold-weather environment while working under the auspices of the National Response Framework and the National Search and Rescue Plan.

Local citizens should not be alarmed about any increased presence or activity of area law enforcement and emergency first responders who are participating in the exercise.

“It’s important that we work tirelessly to strengthen the operational partnerships amongst all federal, state and local agencies in the region,” said Rear Adm. Michael Parks, commander of the 9^th Coast Guard District.  “It’s the only way to ensure that, if a real emergency of this magnitude occurs, we can deliver the robust and timely response that the citizens and visitors of this area expect and deserve.”

“It’s also crucial that we test our ability to respond in all conditions — including the cold-weather maritime environment we have here,” said Parks.  “We must never forget about Air Florida Flight 90's tragic crash into the icy Potomac River 30 years ago last week.  This goes to show that, in the real world, an emergency like this could happen at any time, so it’s important that emergency responders practice how they’re expected to operate.”

“Planning, training and exercising are the cornerstones of an effective emergency preparedness program,” said Cullen Peltier, director of Brown County Emergency Management.  “This exercise provides us the opportunity to test local, state and federal response plans and ensure that our integrated planning and training efforts would result in an effective and efficient response to a real event.”

Following the exercise, the participants will supply feedback and lessons learned, which will be incorporated with the observations of exercise evaluators to create an after-action report, identifying areas of improvement.

Agencies/companies expected to participate include: Coast Guard Atlantic Area; 9^th Coast Guard District; Wisconsin National Guard; Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan; Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich.; Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; the Federal Aviation Administration; Delta Airlines; Austin Straubel Airport; Wisconsin Mutual Aid Box Alarm System; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Wisconsin Emergency Management; Brown County Emergency Management; Kewaunee County Emergency Management; Brown County Sheriff's Office; Green Bay Fire Department; New Franken Fire Department; County Rescue Services; Ashwaubenon Fire Department; Waukesha County Emergency Management; Oconto County Emergency Management; American Red Cross; Atlas Outfitters; and volunteer groups.

Exercise schedule and media opportunities:

For more information, contact Lt. Nick Craig, Green Bay Fire Department, at 920-448-3293 or 920-621-1933.

CLEVELAND — An ice-rescue team from Coast Guard Station Toledo, Ohio, rescued a 59-year-old man who fell through the ice in Toledo’s Cullen Park this afternoon.

The man was rescued after reportedly falling through the ice while chasing after his dogs. The victim fell through the ice into about three feet of water and was unable to get back onto solid ice.

Station Toledo received notification of the man in distress from the Toledo Fire Department at about 2:45 p.m. The Coast Guard ice-rescue team and personnel from the Toledo Fire Department responded to the scene.

The man was helped back to shore and transferred to Emergency Medical Services.

The man's dogs were able to make it safely back to shore.

Since Great Lakes ice is unpredictable and dangerous, the Coast Guard wants people to keep safety in mind, and use the acronym "I.C.E." to remember the following:

I — Intelligence: check the weather and ice conditions, know where you are going and know how to call for help/assistance.

C - Clothing: wear the proper anti-exposure clothes with multiple layers. If possible, wear a dry suit to prevent hypothermia, which can occur within minutes after falling through the ice.

E - Equipment: have the proper equipment such as a marine band radio and life jackets.

Recreational ice users are encouraged to:

Use the buddy system - NEVER go out on the ice alone.

Dress in bright colors and wear an anti-exposure suit that is waterproof, including a personal flotation device (PFD).

Carry two ice picks or screwdrivers for self-rescue. They are much more effective than using your hands.

Carry a whistle or noise-making device to alert people that you are in distress and a communication device; a VHF-FM radio is more effective and reliable than a cell phone in the marine environment.

Stay away from cracks, seams, pressure ridges and slushy areas, which signify thinner ice.

For more information contact the Ninth District Public Affairs Office at 216-902-6020.

CLEVELAND — Coast Guard search crews have ended their search this evening for a man who fell into the Detroit River from the Ambassador Bridge in downtown Detroit.

Missing is: Kent Morton, 27, of Garden City, Mich.

"The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is the most difficult decision that our operators face," said Chief Petty Officer Gabriel Settel, command center supervisor, Coast Guard Sector Detroit.  "Our thoughts go out to Mr. Morton's family and friends during this incredibly difficult time."

In all, crews scoured a combined search area of nearly 300 square nautical miles of the Detroit River.  Morton's family has been in constant contact with the Detroit Police Department, who have been providing updates on the status of the search.

The communications watchstander at Coast Guard Station Belle Isle, in Detroit, Mich., was contacted at 1:45 p.m. by bridge security, who received a call from witnesses who reportedly saw a man fall from the center span of the bridge.  The man was last seen wearing work coveralls.  There is no more information about any other safety gear that was worn or utilized.

A Coast Guard boatcrew, aboard a Station Belle Isle 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, was already underway and was diverted to begin searching.  A second RB-M crew was dispatched from Station Belle Isle, as was an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit.

Also assisting in the search was a Detroit Police Department rescue boatcrew with a dive team aboard and a helicopter crew from the Michigan State Police.

The center span of the Ambassador Bridge is about 150 feet from the surface of the water.  The water temperature at the time of the accident was 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

For more information, contact Chief Petty Officer Gabriel Settel at 313-568-9519.