Two ice fishermen required rescue from Sebewaing Township’s portion of Saginaw Bay after breaking through the ice and landing in waist deep water.
Shortly after 12 pm on Monday, March 10, Huron Central Dispatch received a distress call from an ice fisherman about a half mile northwest of Sebewaing, who was a couple hundred feet from two ice fishermen who had broken through the ice and into waist deep water. He reported that the two had been trying to get back up on the ice but kept breaking through. He remained within shouting distance of the two to keep an eye on them.
Sebewaing Fire and Sebewaing Police were sent to the shoreline area to check out the situation. It was deemed that the ice was too dangerous to attempt to walk out and lend aid, requiring the Huron County Sheriff’s airboat to be trailered to the Sebewaing Marina by the Caseville Fire Department. Within 50 minutes of the original call, the hypothermic fishermen were aboard the airboat and heading for shore.
They were turned over to awaiting ambulance personnel from Sebewaing and Unionville for treatment. It is unknown at this time if they were admitted to a hospital for further treatment. The 911 caller made it back by walking in, but only after breaking through himself, but fortunately in shallower water.
After the incident was over, Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson used an airplane to survey the bay ice of Huron and Tuscola counties. He found that the ice is in very poor condition, with countless breaks and open water where many wouldn’t expect it.
Much of what’s offshore not bound by the islands was slowly moving due the stronger southwest wind. Because of that, Sheriff Hanson asked that all area ice fishermen end their ice fishing season Monday and stay off the ice.
