Ice Fisherman Rescued From Water Near Lake St. Clair

HARRISON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) -- A man was hospitalized early Monday morning after falling through the ice while walking on a canal near Lake St. Clair.

Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said live on WWJ Newsradio 950 that the ice fisherman was walking out when he went through the ice and into the water near the Department of Natural Resources boat ramp off of Jefferson Ave. in Harrison Township.

Other fishermen in the area heard the man's screaming for help and called 911. Emergency crews helped get the man to safety.

"The Harrison Township Fire Department was able to utilized their equipment to get out on the ice and pull the gentleman out and rescue him," Wickersham said.

Wickersham said the fisherman was in the water for some time, but appears to be okay.

Senior Chief Gabriel Fatell with the U.S. Coast Guard in Detroit warns that "no ice is safe ice" and if you decide to go out anyway, to keep some things in mind.

"There is a large section of Lake St. Clair that is iced over as well with Lake Erie," Fatell said. "A lot of that ice is breaking down, it's getting into broken ice which makes it very unsafe. So I would definitely say stay closer to shore -- that's going to be the thickest ice -- if possible and watch that forecast before you go out there."

Fatell says to make sure to wear a life jacket, listen for cracking and try not to put too much weight on one area.