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Ira Township Fire Dept IRA TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPT

Date: January 2004
Rescued: Three Ice Fisherman
Pilots & Rescue Team: Ira Township Fire Crew

Ice fishermen trapped, rescued from Lake St. Clair ~ By Tom Watts, Macomb Daily Staff Writer January 14, 2004

Stan Babiarz of Warren has been ice fishing on Lake St. Clair for more than 50 years. On Tuesday, the 76-year-old retiree and a dozen other bewildered anglers from Harrison Township to Ira Township were rescued after strong winds broke off ice floes.

 "We were only out there 15-20 minutes," Babiarz said following his rescue by the Harrison Township Fire Department. "I've been fishing a long time out here -- over 50 years for sure -- and this is the first time this has ever happened."

All of the ice fishermen were rescued without injury by a host of emergency and rescue personnel, including fire departments from Harrison, Chesterfield and Ira townships; the U.S. Coast Guard; and the Macomb County Sheriff's Marine Division.

The ice fishermen were stranded within one hour of each other in various locations as winds from the northwest ripped to the southeast, causing sections of ice to break away.

In all, nine anglers were rescued off a large ice floe at Metro Beach Metropark in Harrison Township; two anglers were rescued near the pier at Brandenburg Park in Chesterfield Township; and three anglers were rescued along Anchor Bay in Ira Township.

"When we pulled all nine off the ice floes nobody had a cell phone with them," Harrison Township Fire Battalion Chief Robert Knapp said. "And I didn't see any perch, either."

Harrison Township fire officials, with the aid of the Macomb County Sheriff's Marine Division, rescued the men by using two 15-foot aluminum boats -- one with a small engine and the other with oars.

"We launched both rescue boats across open water, picked the guys off the ice floe, and took them to solid ice," Knapp said. "A group of eight men separated from the main ice at Metro Beach. We were out there a half-mile to get to them. Another ice fisherman had broken away near Gino's Surf."

While the ice was fairly safe "thickness wise," Knapp said wind direction and weather patterns can change in a minute.

"The ice cracks and the next thing you know you're on a floe to Canada," said Knapp, who noted that Harrison Township handles about 15 to 25 ice rescues each year, resulting in added costs to taxpayers for various overtime and emergency personnel costs.

"I remember legislation came up years ago to charge them when they have to be rescued," Knapp said. "But the real issue is giving us the authority to get these people off the ice when it is unsafe. We had one guy who fell through and ended up drowning. After it happened, another guy went to the same hole and I couldn't stop them from going out there. By law we can't force them to get off the ice."

Paul Poszwa of Rochester Hills witnessed the ice fishermen being stranded and rescued near Metro Beach.

"Anyone who fishes Lake St. Clair knows when the north and west winds blow to stay off the ice," Poszwa said. "They all know there's a chance the ice could separate. You put your life in your own hands for perch."

Sgt. Gary Cassity of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority law enforcement division said the frozen lake is never safe.

"We never recommend ice fishing when temperatures go up and down like they did this week," Cassity said. "Every year we see these rescues. These rescue workers put their lives on the line for these guys."

At Brandenburg Park, Chesterfield Township Deputy Fire Chief Doug Charbonneau said two ice fishermen were rescued just minutes after the Harrison Township rescue; one ice shanty was lost; and at least two anglers swam to safety after ice floes broke away.

"We had two guys on a chunk of ice that lost their shanty and their equipment," Charbonneau said. "They took a boat out to rescue them."

Ira Township Fire Chief Mike Holt said emergency personnel rescued three ice fishermen, and one other angler who fell in was rescued by other ice fishermen.

"We went out on a hovercraft and brought back three of them," Holt said. "There was about 80 yards of open water between the fishermen. The wind picked up and blew them off."