18 people rescued after being trapped on Lake Erie ice

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Co-founder of Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project talks ice safety

18 people now safe after being rescued from an ice floe on Lake Erie. Dave Benjamin, co-founder of the Great Lakes Rescue Project, on the importance of ice safety during winter months. 

CATAWBA ISLAND, Ohio – Eighteen people are safe after they were rescued on Lake Erie from an ice floe Sunday afternoon. 

The Coast Guard said that they and a good Samaritan worked to rescue the group by airboats and a helicopter.

The people were snowmobiling on the ice when the ice broke and floated away.

The helicopter hoisted seven people from the floe, four by a Coast Guard airboat and the remaining seven by a good Samaritan’s airboat, the U.S. Coast Guard.

"There’s no such thing as safe ice, but people can mitigate their risks," Lt. j.g. Jeremiah Schiessel, from Coast Guard Sector Detroit, said. "Always be sure to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back."

7 ways to stay safe on ice, and what to do if you fall through

No one was required medical attention after the rescue.

This weekend, the National Weather Service in Cleveland warned the public of possible ice drifts on the lake.

"You are urged to stay off the ice on Lake Erie as there is the possibility that the ice will drift away from shore," NWS Cleveland said. "Dangerous ice conditions could develop causing people to become trapped on the ice."