Two Fishermen Rescued from Ice Floe in Saginaw Bay

PINCONNING, Mich. (WNEM) — Two ice fishermen were rescued from a drifting ice floe in Saginaw Bay on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 22, after brisk offshore winds left them stranded. The incident occurred near Gambill’s Landing, close to the intersection of E. Newburg Road and N. Peterson Beach Drive.

Kawkawlin Township Fire Chief Steve Bernreuter said the fishermen had crossed an open water gap earlier in the day, but the gap widened, preventing their return. The ice floe they were stranded on measured half a mile long. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Kawkawlin Township Fire Department, Pinconning-Fraser Fire Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard collaborated in the rescue operation.

TV5’s James Felton reported that the fishermen declined an interview but shared off-camera that they had called for help when they realized they could not return to shore. Bernreuter expressed relief that the fishermen were unharmed. “It’s always a good feeling to get them off the ice safe and sound. You know there’s family here, there’s friends. It’s a pretty close group around here, a lot of these fishermen all know each other. So it’s nice when you get them all off and back here on safe ground,” he said.

Bernreuter emphasized the importance of safety for ice fishers. “No ice is safe ice, but if you’re going to go out, make sure you go out with somebody, or let somebody know where you’re going. And have all your safety equipment with you, so that if something does happen, you’re able to get off the ice, or get ahold of somebody to get you off,” he advised.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene at 12:37 p.m., approximately one mile off Almeda Beach. The rescue operation concluded successfully, with both fishermen brought back to shore unharmed.