27 people rescued from floating ice chunk in Wisconsin, officials say

Kalhan Rosenblatt
·1 min read

Twenty-seven people were rescued after a chunk of ice broke away from shore Saturday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, officials told NBC Chicago.

The ice had floated nearly a mile from the shoreline by the time those on it were rescued, NBC Chicago reported. The 27 people floated for about an hour and a half before they were rescued.

An ice rescue operation on Jan. 8, 2022. (Brown County Sheriff's Office)
An ice rescue operation on Jan. 8, 2022. (Brown County Sheriff's Office)

The sound of the ice disconnecting was similar to a gunshot, those aboard it said.

Many who were rescued had been fishing, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office said. No injuries were reported, NBC Chicago said.

Those on the ice were rescued in groups as sheriff’s airboats made several trips to rescue eight passengers at a time.

Officials are still determining what caused the ice to detach. It is thought that a barge traveling through the bay could have caused the chunk to dislodge, the sheriff’s office said.