Russian Emergency Ministry Rescues Over 100 Fisherman Stranded on Ice Flow

Russian officials are reporting an unusual rescue mission to save fishermen from an ice flow that had broken away in eastern Russia on the Sea of Okhotsk. The rescue was completed successfully but not without some drama as some of the fishermen said they were not leaving under any circumstances without their catch.

First reports indicated as many as 300 people might have been stranded on the drifting on the snow covered ice flow. A 10-meter (more than 30 feet) long crack developed in the ice after the fishermen and extreme sports enthusiasts had set out from a small village on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The ice flow was reported to be drifting endangering the fishermen.

 

 

The Emergency Ministry reports 31 specialists and 17 units were dispatched and they used a Mi-8 helicopter and a Khivus helicopter. The authorities had to convince the extreme sports enthusiasts of the danger and to abandon their positions.

In the final count, 109 people were removed from the ice flow. The helicopter evacuated 44 people back to land while 65 were taken aboard the hovercraft.

Winter fishing is a popular sport in the Sakhalin region along the Pacific coast. The region is known for its harsh winters. In the past, the rescue services have also had to go to the aid of vessels that become trapped in the winter ice flows.