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Shifting ice strands Mille Lacs anglers throughout weekend

by Evan Orbeck

Dec 21, 2020 Updated 14 hrs ago

The icy sheets dominating Mille Lacs Lake shores proved their unpredictability the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20, when a shift in lake ice left numerous anglers stranded on a floe away from shore. A rescue operation occurred near Agate Bay Resort and Fisher’s Resort, on the northeast shore of the lake, throughout the afternoon and evening of Dec. 19. Then, the morning of Dec. 20 saw another rescue out of Red Door Resort, further west.

Aitkin County Sheriff Dan Guida spoke on his department’s involvement in the Dec. 19 rescue, stating that his office was first called about the stranded anglers at 5:30 p.m. Due to a shift in the ice, Guida said a gap of open water between 30 and 100 feet wide formed along the northeast shore of the lake, stretching from just north of Nitti’s Hunters Point to Malmo.

Depending on the water depth and distance to shore, Guida stated some stranded anglers attempted to cross the gap, with a few walking into the water and at least one four-wheeler being driven in. The majority of those stranded on the ice were rescued by boat. All stranded anglers were accounted for, Guida said, and none were in need of medical attention. In total, around 30 anglers were helped off the ice. Guida said this was the first ice rescue his department was involved in this year.

Guida noted that while no ice should be assumed safe, the ice floe the anglers became stranded on was stable enough to walk on. “The ice was between four and seven inches thick,” Guida said, “where it broke … Mille Lacs Is a big lake, and crazy things can happen.” He characterized the incident as an anomaly, adding that Mille Lacs has ice pressure ridges, ice movement, and ice pile up along the lakeshore every year.

In total, Guida said he had six officers assisting with the rescue effort, and the department deployed a 16 foot jon boat to help shuttle anglers back to the shore. Guida said that the Isle Fire Department and St. Paul Air Patrol were also present on Dec. 19.

Dean and Renee Hanson, owners of Agate Bay Resort, provided their observations on the events. Dean noted that, as Agate Bay’s access is closed, none of the anglers out on the ice had gone through his resort. Agate Bay had been unaware of the situation until the arrival of the Isle Fire Department around 6 p.m. Both Hansons spoke to the presence of the Isle Fire Department, the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Department, local conservation officers, and a helicopter through the State Patrol. The resort had served as a staging area for the rescue, though it was not directly involved in the operation. Between 15 to 20 anglers had been brought in south of his resort, Dean said, and around 10 just to the north.

Dean observed that Saturday’s situation was unusual, but anglers should use caution when going out on the lake when it was not fully frozen. He added that anglers should pay attention to the wind in such situations and head in if the wind is blowing in from shore. He also advised against staying out after dark on a partially frozen lake.

He commended those involved in the rescue effort, from the fire department to the sheriff’s departments and the DNR. “They risked their lives and spent an awful lot of time to get these people off. I don’t think those anglers did anything wrong, but I think the people who rescued them need a significant thank you.”

Rescue, round two

The following morning, Dec. 20, another shift in the ice occurred, this time stranding anglers along the north end of the lake. Brian Linne, owner of Red Door Resort, on the north end of the lake, stated that the crack opened between 9 and 9:30 a.m. The rescue operation that morning was staged with the help of Red Door staff, friends of the resort and some of the stranded anglers. “My props to the ice team that was out there,” he said. “They handled things quickly, safely, and efficiently. I’m proud of the result.”

Linne added that no emergency responders, helicopters, dive teams, or other public servants had been involved. At the Red Door incident, no anglers were in the water, Linne said. All anglers and equipment were recovered by around 12:05 p.m.

Not all anglers rescued from the lake had left out through the Red Door Resort access, Linne said, with a number of anglers being out on the lake through neighboring properties.

“When people were coming in that morning,” Linne said, “we were explicit about the condition of the ice and how things can change quickly with early ice. Unfortunately, it swung quicker than we expected.” The resort would be keeping their access closed for the time being, looking to potential colder weather later in the week to make sure everything had sealed up well.