11 ice fishermen rescued off Door County after crack in ice forms

11 people needed to be rescued on the ice off of west side of Door County Friday, January 24, 2025, when a crack in the ice appeared and wind separated the piece of ice they were on, blowing it out into open water.

Members of the Coast Guard, the Sherriff’s Department, the DNR, and local fire departments used airboats to shuttle the ice fishermen back to shore. The incident, which happened Friday afternoon was so subtle, some of the people stranded didn’t even know it happened until rescuers showed up.

The crack that opened up ranged in size from 10 to 30 feet wide. Officials say this is the second week in a row they’ve needed to make a rescue due to cracks opening up on the bay area.