Dramatic rescue effort saves more than 220 Baltic fishermen after they became trapped on moving ice floes off the Latvian coast
Worldwide, Daily news | ankakh | March 30, 2013 21:20
Latvia’s emergency services rescued more than 220 fisherman who became stranded on moving ice floes in the Gulf of Riga yesterday.
Around 180 people were rescued from a floe off the town of Vakarbulli, while another 43 were taken off the ice near the seaside resort of Jurmala.
The State Fire and Rescue Service used boats, ships and helicopters in an operation that took more than three hours, said Viktorija Sembele, a spokeswoman for the service.
One relieved fisherman told how he ran across the ice for around 10 minutes to reach the main group of people.
The ice had drifted in strong winds about 4 km (2-1/2 miles) from the shore by the end of the operation, she said.
The rescue operation lasted more than three hours but amazingly only one person needed medical attention, Latvian Public Radio said.
Rescue operations from ice floes are fairly common in the Baltic states, especially at the start of the spring thaw, however it is rare for them to involve such a large number of people.
such a large number of people.
Dmitry Belyaev, who was among the people trapped on the ice told Latvia’s Radio Baltkom: ‘People feel OK.
‘After the ice floe broke off we contacted rescuers immediately. Half an hour later the rescue boats arrived.’
Ice-fishing is a popular past time in many Baltic states but every winter several people drown and many more are rescued.
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