Nine people rescued after being stranded on a sheet of ice on Lake Pepin
GOODHUE COUNTY, Minn. – Despite our seemingly never-ending winter, a Minnesota sheriff is warning everyone to use extreme caution on the ice.
Last night, nine people had to be rescued after they were stranded on an ice sheet in the middle of Lake Pepin, a naturally-occurring lake in the Mississippi River boarding Minnesota and Wisconsin.
"There was 15 to 20 feet of water all around them," said Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly.
Sheriff Kelly said the group entered the lake from the Wisconsin side to go ice fishing.
"The ice drift was drifting south because of the current," he said.
Sheriff Kelly said they partnered with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Lake City Fire and Ambulance for the rescue. A deputy knew how to drive their airboat and was able to help bring the group to shore safely after a couple hours.
"Literally saved their lives because I don't know how much longer... they would've been on there, whether [more ice] broke off, you just don't know," said Sheriff Kelly.
Joan Franklin saw the rescue from her home on Lake Pepin. She said there's more open water right now than in years past.
"I'm just thankful they were able to save them and nobody got hurt because if you got in that lake you'd never last, it's cold," Franklin said.
Despite the thin ice warnings, in late January, at least six trucks fell through Lake Pepin. A few weeks after that, an ATV fell through. The rocky winter has left ice deteriorating often and early. Sheriff Kelly urges everyone to use extreme caution or stay off the ice entirely.
"We could be having our dive team out there today looking for people that drowned, but thank God that didn't happen," he said.