MAIDEN ROCK, Wis. — Nine people were rescued from the middle of Lake Pepin on Sunday, March 5, 2023.
The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office responded to the call around 6:30 p.m. after a group of six adults and three children were stuck on a separated sheet of ice. The group was ice fishing after entering from the Maiden Rock, Wis., landing, according to a Goodhue County Sheriff's Office news release.
The Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and Lake City Fire and Ambulance used airboats to transport the group safely back to shore. There were no injuries reported.
Deputies are working on getting a snowmobile, ATVs and fishing gear off the ice sheet as of Monday afternoon.
With "extremely dangerous" ice conditions, the Sheriff's Office advises no motorized vehicles should be driven onto the ice and extreme caution should be used if venturing on the ice. Both the warm weather and recent precipitation have impacted the conditions as well as the current from the Mississippi River.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District noted the lake's ice measurements as between 6 and 20 inches on Feb. 17, 2023.
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