“Devil’s Blanket” May be One Reason for Recent Ice Rescues
CLEVELAND — Rescues in Saginaw Bay, Michigan, Sunday evening and Lake Erie Monday morning are the latest in an alarmingly high number of Great Lakes ice rescues since Saturday, prompting a Coast Guard reminder of the risk of venturing out onto the ice and of the importance of taking appropriate safety precautions.
Throughout the weekend the Coast Guard, good Samaritans and the Bay County, Michigan Fire Department rescued eight and assisted six people across the lakes, an unusually high number attributed in part to a milder winter and environmental conditions like “the devil’s blanket.”
“My ice rescue crews spend more time on the frozen Saginaw Bay than anyone, and every one of us has learned that ice conditions are unpredictable,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Terry W. Lathrop, officer in charge of Coast Guard Station Saginaw, home of the National Ice Rescue School. “One thing we can say with certainty is that the ice will almost never be as thick as it was last year, so don’t go out expecting 30 inches of ice.” Read more
For beginning anglers, ice fishing offers one significant advantage: access. Boat-less anglers, who otherwise are limited to shorelines or fishing piers much of the year, can often access entire lakes. That inspires some anglers to proclaim that ice-fishing season is their favorite time of year.
TOLEDO, OH – Mark Feldstein & Associates Inc. (MFA), a product development company and importer of unique giftware, housewares and electronics, recently introduced the Illuminator Camo Flashlight with licensed Mossy Oak® camouflage patterns designed for outdoor sports and recreation.
