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Duluth Fire Department rescues 26 anglers from Lake Superior

[Duluth, MN] At 11:03 a.m., the Duluth Fire Department responded to a water emergency call in Lake Superior. A large group of fishermen had been fishing in individual fish houses when the ice that they had been on separated from shore. The anglers were located off of the Beacon Pointe housing development at 2100 East Water Street.

Four Quint was the first to arrive a minute after the call came in and found a large group of fishermen who had collapsed their fish houses standing on a large ice flow. Crews were able to make immediate contact with anglers and brought three to shore.

Rescue 1 had then arrived on the scene and deployed a rapid deployment craft (RDC), a boat without a motor, and continued their rescue attempts. Using the RDC, crews were able to bring another three fishermen back to land. Due to the wind speed and direction, crews had to make a change in their rescue plan.

By this time, the 1 Tower crew arrived with Marine 3, a motorized inflatable boat, and deployed it to continue rescue efforts. It was then used to rescue four, two groups of five, and finally, the final three fishermen from the ice flow.

At the same time that this rescue was occurring, an additional angler started walking towards Park Point from the Water Street scene. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Rescue Squad responded with their airboat and rescued the individual.

Within an hour of the original call, the Duluth Fire Department had rescued 26 anglers from the ice. Crews from Headquarters, UMD, Woodland, and Lakeside responded to the call.

The Duluth Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff Office, and the U.S. Coast were also on scene.

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