More than 11 anglers rescued from unsafe ice on Upper Red Lake in northern Minnesota

KELLIHER, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities rescued more than 11 people Tuesday who had become stranded on unsafe ice while fishing on Upper Red Lake in northern Minnesota.  

The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office said it received reports that strong winds caused the thin ice the anglers were fishing on to separate from the shore. 

The sheriff’s office said the Kelliher Volunteer Fire Department rescued 11 people and they believe resorts in the area rescued many others. The exact number of people rescued is unknown. 

The sheriff’s office is reminding people that ice is never 100 percent safe and that it is “absolutely unsafe” this early in the season. 

“Early cold weather has resulted in the lake beginning to ice over earlier than usual with a mixed report on the thickness of the ice,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Social media accounts are being used to exploit how safe the ice is, when it isn’t.” 

The sheriff’s office said it has contacted resorts in the Red Lake area and asked them not to allow anglers out on the ice for the time being.