Mar 15

Mar 15 Anglers return to the ice despite warnings from local officials (updated)

(THE MED CITY BEAT) - Several anglers returned to Foster Arend Lake in Rochester on Sunday, just a day after four people had to be rescued for falling through the ice.

Local officials had advised people to stay off the ice, given the recent stretch of unseasonably warm weather. Daytime temperatures were in the upper 50s to mid 60s throughout the weekend.

Anglers still out after four fell through the ice yesterday while ice fishing in #rochmn pic.twitter.com/U4QXV3axUN
— Megan Stewart (@MstewartKAAL) March 15, 2015

KTTC-TV reports three children and an adult broke through the ice in the late Saturday afternoon while ice fishing.

By the time emergency crews arrived, a Good Samaritan had already pulled the victims from the icy waters using a long stick. All four were treated at the scene and released, notes a report by KAAL-TV.

The Post-Bulletin reports the police department cleared others from the ice after the rescue as a safety precaution.

"It's been over 60 degrees now for a few days, the ice just isn't safe," Ross Baker, the acting battalion fire chief, told KTTC. "The DNR had people remove their ice shacks days ago for a reason. So everybody just needs to use their common sense, stay off the ice, a fish is not worth your life."

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued a news release last Monday warning people of deteriorating ice conditions. Officials recommend an ice thickness of at least four inches for walking; the depth should be monitored every 150 feet.

Click here to learn more about ice safety.

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(Cover photo: File / Jenni Konrad / Creative Commons)