Hundreds of ice fisherman were already back on frozen sections of Lake Erie yesterday less than 24 hours after the rescue of 125 fishermen stranded on a drifting ice floe. Some headed to risky areas where currents can create dangerously thin ice, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Experts warned that the ice-floe stranding could have evolved into a major tragedy. A lone fisherman died after falling into the frigid water.
"If the National Weather Service had not broadcast warnings, there could have been 1500 fishermen on the ice," said a veteran ice fishing guide. "They were right on top of the situation."
(More Lake Erie stories.)