(HURON COUNTY) – Three men escaped injuries after their ice fishing shanty got caught up in Sunday’s windstorm. causing a few anxious moments.
According to Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson, deputies responded to the area of the Fillion Road Access Site in McKinley Township around 8 a.m.
Sheriff Hanson said a witness on shore had called Central Dispatch about seeing a large ice shanty being blown across the ice with a struggling individual outside of it.
Winds were reported to be in excess of 50 mph at the time of the incident, according to law enforcement officials.
Sheriff Hanson said the shanty, which was a homemade design and the size of a small camper, was estimated to have traveled over the ice nearly one mile during the incident.
Arriving deputies stood by on shore and kept track of the fishermen who were about 1.5 miles offshore, while the Caseville Fire Department brought the County’s rescue airboat to the scene.
Police say the three men were able to make it back to shore safely before the airboat was deployed.
Deputies learned that the three local men had spent the night in the shanty and were aware of an approaching wind storm.
However, Sheriff Hanson said the men apparently took for granted the power of the wind, although they had made arrangements to start heading to shore at the time of the incident.
The men refused any medical treatment, once back on shore safely.
The homemade shanty is pictured below:
