by Admin
Feb 12, 2025
More than 100 fishermen were rescued after becoming stranded on a floating sheet of ice that broke away from the island of Sakhalin and drifted into the Sea of Okhotsk, Russian authorities announced on Wednesday.
According to emergency services, over hundrend fishermen were left stranded when a 10-meter (32-foot) crack formed in the ice, separating them from the shore.
The rescue operation, which took place amid strong winds, involved a Mi-8 helicopter and a Khivus hovercraft, a specialized vehicle capable of traveling across both ice and water.
Videos shared by responders showed fishermen being escorted to safety. However, not all those stranded were eager to leave.
Emergency services reported that some “extreme sports enthusiasts” initially refused evacuation, insisting on staying until they could collect their catch.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in the region. In February 2023, more than 80 fishermen were rescued when an ice floe broke away near the village of Starodub Skoye.
A more dramatic event took place in 2020, when over 500 ice fishermen had to be rescued from drifting ice near Mordvinov Bay on Sakhalin, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.