A Coast Guardsman helps a man who fell through the ice on Lake Huron near the Bay City Recreation Area Jan. 27, 2011, as part of a four-day ice rescue training class.
Night time training is important because the majority of ice-rescue cases happen at night, and responders who have to locate and rescue a person who fell through the ice at night are faced with additional obstacles.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Jorgensen
EDITORS NOTE: The image used in this release is a training photo from 2011 and is not from this rescue.
CLEVELAND — A Coast Guard ice rescue crew rescued two people after their SUV became disabled on the ice near the mouth of the Saginaw River Monday evening.
The people's names are not being released and there is no Coast Guard video or imagery available for this case.
Just before 9:30 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Detroit received a 911 relay call reporting one man and one woman stranded on the ice in Saginaw Bay. The man reported having a pre-existing medical condition, was overdue on his medication and was beginning to feel nauseous.
A crew from Coast Guard Station Saginaw River, located in Essexvile, Michigan, responded aboard a 20-foot airboat and established a communication schedule with the two people on the ice. When the Coast Guardsmen arrived on scene, they recovered both adults and took them to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at a local Department of Natural Resources boat ramp. The man's friend was also waiting with his medication, and the man and woman were both treated and released.
"Any time people go out on the Great Lakes, they should ensure they have a reliable way to call for help," said Mike Baron, the recreational boating safety specialist with the Coast Guard 9th District in Cleveland. "Paired with proper clothing, life jackets and a float plan, a VHF-FM radio or a personal locator beacon can help to keep you safe while you're out enjoying the lakes."
Sector Detroit is issuing a special marine information broadcast about the stranded vehicle while the owner works to have it recovered from the ice as soon as possible.