Russian Emergency Services Rescue Over 170 Anglers Stranded on Ice Floe

The rescue operation off Sakhalin Island involved watercraft and a helicopter after a large ice floe drifted nearly a kilometer from shore.

A total of 170 anglers were rescued by Russian emergency services after being stranded on a drifting ice floe in the Sea of Okhotsk near Sakhalin Island.
Initial reports estimated that 200 individuals were trapped on the ice, which had drifted approximately one kilometer from the shore.
The rescue operation utilized watercraft and a helicopter to safely bring the stranded individuals back to land.
Ice fishing is a popular activity in Russia, but incidents like this are not uncommon, with past emergencies resulting in similar large-scale rescues.
In January 2020, over 600 people were caught on a detached ice sheet in the same region, with more than 200 requiring rescue by emergency services.