Three fishermen rescued after breaking through ice in Red Lake

The anglers told authorities they took a wrong turn on the way back to a resort.

December 22, 2023 at 9:02PM

Authorities rescued three fishermen who broke through the ice in Upper Red Lake on Thursday, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office said.

Two of the men fell into the water but made it back onto the ice and told rescue workers they weren't injured. The anglers told authorities they broke through an ice pressure ridge when they were heading back to a resort in their all-terrain vehicle and attached trailer.

Emergency crews responded to the lake at about 8:20 p.m. and saw the men more than a mile from the shore at Joas Beach Road NE. Kelliher Fire and Rescue officials got the three men back to shore by 9:05 p.m.

This is the second rescue mission Beltrami County authorities have mounted on Red Lake this week.

On Sunday, Kelliher Fire and Rescue personnel, along with help from a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources airboat, rescued 27 anglers who were stranded on an ice floe for more than three hours. Strong winds of about 40 mph broke the large chunk of ice from the shoreline of Upper Red Lake.

In late November 2022, authorities rescued about 200 anglers off an ice floe on Upper Red Lake.

about the writer

about the writer

Eder Campuzano

Reporter

Eder Campuzano is a general assignment reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune and lead writer of the Essential Minnesota newsletter.

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