Military News
02-07-2012, 02:21 PM
Coast Guard issues Great Lakes-wide warning of possible weakened ice conditions
Click the below thumbnail images to obtain higher-resolution versions.
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1525506&g2_serialNumber=2 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1525504&g2_imageViewsIndex=1) GREEN BAY, Wis. — A rescue airboat crew from Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis., launches into Green Bay to assess the two men who are choosing to remain on an ice floe in the bay, in this Coast Guard overflight photo, Feb. 6, 2012.
After eight of the 10 people on the ice were removed by a rescue airboat crew from the Brown County Sheriff's Department, the two men remained in their ice shanty until later that evening, when a friend retrieved them on his personal airboat.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Nathan Shakespeare
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1525503&g2_serialNumber=2 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1525501&g2_imageViewsIndex=1) GREEN BAY, Wis. — A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich., conducts an overflight of a group of ice shanties on an ice floe that broke free in the vicinity of Green Bay, Feb. 6, 2012.
The incident occured weeks after more than two dozen federal, state and local agencies conducted a mass rescue operations preparedness exercise in Green Bay, which featured Brown County Sheriff's Department's airboat, Jan. 18.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Nathan Shakespeare
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1525499&g2_serialNumber=2 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1525497&g2_imageViewsIndex=1) GREEN BAY, Wis. — A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich., conducts an overflight of a group of ice shanties (lower left and lower right portions of the image) on an ice floe that broke free in the vicinity of Green Bay, Feb. 6, 2012.
Eight of the 10 people on the ice were removed by a rescue airboat crew from the Brown County Sheriff's Department while two remained until later that evening, when a friend retrieved them on his personal airboat.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Nathan Shakespeare
CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard is releasing photographs from a helicopter overflight conducted Monday afternoon, after eight people were evacuated from an adrift ice floe in Green Bay, Wis., by a local sheriff's department rescue airboat.
On Monday, Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan (http://uscg.mil/d9/sectLakeMichigan/default.asp), in Milwaukee, received a report of 10 people who were stuck on an ice floe that broke free in Green Bay.
The ice floe, later described to be 2-3 miles long and 1 mile wide, was about 35 feet from shore.
The Oconto County Sheriff's Department (http://www.co.oconto.wi.us/departments/?department=e587ce08a9a0) enlisted the help of the Brown County Sheriff's Department (http://www.co.brown.wi.us/departments/?department=3377616beeef), who arrived on scene with their rescue airboat. The rescue airboat crew was able to pull eight of the people off the ice floe, but two of the men decided to remain until a friend could come pick them up in his personal airboat.
A rescue airboat crew from Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (http://uscg.mil/d9/sectLakeMichigan/STASturgeonBay.asp), reached out to the men and obtained information in case something happened to them before their friend could arrive.
For more detailed information about the incident, please contact the Oconto County Sheriff's Department at 920-834-6919.
Citizens and visitors to the Great Lakes should be cautious of the unusually warm temperatures throughout the region, which increase the possibility of weakened ice.
"When weather and ice conditions change, they can change rapidly," said Capt. Stephen Torpey, chief of response for the 9th Coast Guard District. "So, in addition to checking conditions before they go out, people need to be willing to modify their plans as the conditions change to ensure their safety."
"We're glad to see that, once presented with the risks associated with remaining on the ice, everyone got off the ice before nightfall."
This incident comes just weeks after more than two dozen federal, state and local emergency response agencies conducted a mass rescue operations exercise (http://www.d9.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/1273031/) in Green Bay. The exercise, which took place on Jan. 18, was designed to test the coordinated response to a simulated emergency in an ice-covered maritime environment.
Click here to see photos from the exercise. (http://www.d9.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/1281411/PHOTOs-Federal-state-local-agencies-respond-to-simulated-airplane-crash-during-mass-rescue-operations-exercise-in-Green-Bay)
Coast Guard airboats were also used during a mass rescue operation in February 2009, as emergency responders on airboats, helicopters, planes, ships and boats from several agencies rescued 134 people trapped on an ice floe adrift in Lake Erie: Click here to read a news release (http://www.d9.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/253092/02-07-2009-USCG-multiple-agencies-respond-to-people-stranded-on-ice-floe-3-30-p-m-update); click here to see aerial footage on the Coast Guard's Visual Imagery database (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=464618); or on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toTXoZlry4M).
People who plan to recreate on or near the water should monitor the weather and ensure they have all the recommended safety gear. When venturing out, a person should think I.C.E. as a precaution:
Intelligence — know the weather and ice conditions, know where you are going, and know how to call for help. Never go out alone.
Clothing — have the proper clothing to prevent hypothermia. Wear a waterproof exposure suit and a life preserver.
Equipment — have the proper equipment. Carry two ice picks or screwdrivers, in case you fall in. Use these items to dig into the ice and pull yourself out. They are more effective than bare hands! Carry a whistle or noise maker to alert people that you are in distress. Carry a cellular phone or marine band radio in a waterproof container so that you can call for help if you come across trouble.
More... (http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/1302791/)
[Clicking on more will open up a popup box with the complete news story from the news source. MilitaryWoman.org is not responsible for content.]
Click the below thumbnail images to obtain higher-resolution versions.
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1525506&g2_serialNumber=2 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1525504&g2_imageViewsIndex=1) GREEN BAY, Wis. — A rescue airboat crew from Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis., launches into Green Bay to assess the two men who are choosing to remain on an ice floe in the bay, in this Coast Guard overflight photo, Feb. 6, 2012.
After eight of the 10 people on the ice were removed by a rescue airboat crew from the Brown County Sheriff's Department, the two men remained in their ice shanty until later that evening, when a friend retrieved them on his personal airboat.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Nathan Shakespeare
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1525503&g2_serialNumber=2 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1525501&g2_imageViewsIndex=1) GREEN BAY, Wis. — A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich., conducts an overflight of a group of ice shanties on an ice floe that broke free in the vicinity of Green Bay, Feb. 6, 2012.
The incident occured weeks after more than two dozen federal, state and local agencies conducted a mass rescue operations preparedness exercise in Green Bay, which featured Brown County Sheriff's Department's airboat, Jan. 18.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Nathan Shakespeare
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1525499&g2_serialNumber=2 (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1525497&g2_imageViewsIndex=1) GREEN BAY, Wis. — A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich., conducts an overflight of a group of ice shanties (lower left and lower right portions of the image) on an ice floe that broke free in the vicinity of Green Bay, Feb. 6, 2012.
Eight of the 10 people on the ice were removed by a rescue airboat crew from the Brown County Sheriff's Department while two remained until later that evening, when a friend retrieved them on his personal airboat.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Nathan Shakespeare
CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard is releasing photographs from a helicopter overflight conducted Monday afternoon, after eight people were evacuated from an adrift ice floe in Green Bay, Wis., by a local sheriff's department rescue airboat.
On Monday, Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan (http://uscg.mil/d9/sectLakeMichigan/default.asp), in Milwaukee, received a report of 10 people who were stuck on an ice floe that broke free in Green Bay.
The ice floe, later described to be 2-3 miles long and 1 mile wide, was about 35 feet from shore.
The Oconto County Sheriff's Department (http://www.co.oconto.wi.us/departments/?department=e587ce08a9a0) enlisted the help of the Brown County Sheriff's Department (http://www.co.brown.wi.us/departments/?department=3377616beeef), who arrived on scene with their rescue airboat. The rescue airboat crew was able to pull eight of the people off the ice floe, but two of the men decided to remain until a friend could come pick them up in his personal airboat.
A rescue airboat crew from Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (http://uscg.mil/d9/sectLakeMichigan/STASturgeonBay.asp), reached out to the men and obtained information in case something happened to them before their friend could arrive.
For more detailed information about the incident, please contact the Oconto County Sheriff's Department at 920-834-6919.
Citizens and visitors to the Great Lakes should be cautious of the unusually warm temperatures throughout the region, which increase the possibility of weakened ice.
"When weather and ice conditions change, they can change rapidly," said Capt. Stephen Torpey, chief of response for the 9th Coast Guard District. "So, in addition to checking conditions before they go out, people need to be willing to modify their plans as the conditions change to ensure their safety."
"We're glad to see that, once presented with the risks associated with remaining on the ice, everyone got off the ice before nightfall."
This incident comes just weeks after more than two dozen federal, state and local emergency response agencies conducted a mass rescue operations exercise (http://www.d9.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/1273031/) in Green Bay. The exercise, which took place on Jan. 18, was designed to test the coordinated response to a simulated emergency in an ice-covered maritime environment.
Click here to see photos from the exercise. (http://www.d9.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/1281411/PHOTOs-Federal-state-local-agencies-respond-to-simulated-airplane-crash-during-mass-rescue-operations-exercise-in-Green-Bay)
Coast Guard airboats were also used during a mass rescue operation in February 2009, as emergency responders on airboats, helicopters, planes, ships and boats from several agencies rescued 134 people trapped on an ice floe adrift in Lake Erie: Click here to read a news release (http://www.d9.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/253092/02-07-2009-USCG-multiple-agencies-respond-to-people-stranded-on-ice-floe-3-30-p-m-update); click here to see aerial footage on the Coast Guard's Visual Imagery database (http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=464618); or on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toTXoZlry4M).
People who plan to recreate on or near the water should monitor the weather and ensure they have all the recommended safety gear. When venturing out, a person should think I.C.E. as a precaution:
Intelligence — know the weather and ice conditions, know where you are going, and know how to call for help. Never go out alone.
Clothing — have the proper clothing to prevent hypothermia. Wear a waterproof exposure suit and a life preserver.
Equipment — have the proper equipment. Carry two ice picks or screwdrivers, in case you fall in. Use these items to dig into the ice and pull yourself out. They are more effective than bare hands! Carry a whistle or noise maker to alert people that you are in distress. Carry a cellular phone or marine band radio in a waterproof container so that you can call for help if you come across trouble.
More... (http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/443/1302791/)
[Clicking on more will open up a popup box with the complete news story from the news source. MilitaryWoman.org is not responsible for content.]