Coast Guard Urges Caution After Increase in Ice Rescues

The United States Coast Guard is urging the use of extreme caution on and near the waterways after the rescue of more than a dozen people in the last seven days.

Ice conditions are weakening as air temperatures have consistently been above-freezing.

Recently, crews rescued 11 boaters in Saginaw Bay, Michigan, after boaters’ vessels became trapped by ice floes, making it impossible for them to get to shore.

The previous day, two people were rescued in Irondequoit Bay, New York, after they became stranded on an ice floe off-shore.

Ice is unpredictable and the thickness can vary, even in small areas. Water currents, particularly around narrow spots, bridges, inlets, and outlets, are always suspect for thin ice. Stay away from cracks, seams, pressure ridges, slushy areas, and darker areas, since these signify thinner ice.