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Rescued 1 day, fishing for Erie walleye the next
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-09 08:54

Officials said some of the stranded anglers watched from solid ice while private contractors hauled all-terrain vehicles and other equipment off the ice.


Ice fishermen Gary Vaughn, left, of Pennsylvania, and David Hudzinski, from Wisconsin, make a phone call after being rescued from the ice at Crane Creek Park in Oak Harbor, Saturday February 7, 2009. Some 150 fishermen were stranded on a slab of ice 8 miles wide when it broke away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said. [Agencies] 

A number of officials said the previous day's rescue went smoothly partly because agencies have trained together. But Coast Guard and local law enforcement officials said they would like to develop ways to stop people from ice fishing during dangerous conditions.

Many more people might have been stranded Saturday if veteran fishermen hadn't heeded weather warnings about warming temperatures and strong winds, fishing guide Pat Chrysler said.

Ottawa County Sheriff Bob Bratton called for authorities to reconsider when civil penalties are assessed. Under current policies, a fisherman's name is recorded the first time he's rescued. The second strike leads to an ice safety class, and the third can result in civil action and fines.