27 fishermen rescued from ice in Valgeranna
A total of 27 fishermen were rescued from an ice floe in Valgeranna, Pärnu County on Wednesday. No lives were in danger.
An emergency call was received at 12:46 EET on Wednesday according to which a group of people had ended up trapped on an ice floe offshore, the Western Regional Rescue Centre said. The ice floe carrying the fishermen was located some 2km from shore, and while no lives were in danger, the trapped men were unable to reach shore on their own.
At the scene, both rescuers from the Rescue Board and Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) sea rescuers helped the men to store. As a number of cracks had formed in the ice, three were also rescued by a boat launched from nearby Pärnu.
A total of 27 fishermen were rescued, 24 of whom by a PPA craft and three by a Rescue Board craft. During the rescue, ice reconnaissance was also conducted by a plane.
According to the Rescue Board, the episode was a graphic reminder that ice conditions are capricious and those who venture onto the ice must take into acount the possibility that they can fall through it at any moment.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla