Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officers and other first responders including the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office rescued dozens of anglers who got stranded on a detached sheet of ice.

The scary incident happened around 5 PM on Sunday when strong winds shifted the ice on Upper Red Lake and stranded 35 anglers on a chunk of ice, that was "initially about 50 feet of open water but became about 200 feet within a couple of hours," according to the DNR.

Crews gathered to come up with a plan to rescue the stranded anglers and eventually got an airboat on the scene and were able to get all the anglers safely to shore around 8 PM.

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Anyone venturing out on the ice is reminded that there should be at least 4 inches of clear new ice for walking and 9 - 17 inches of ice if you plan on driving on the ice. The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office points out that ice can never be considered 100% safe, especially with the unseasonably warm temperatures and recent rain that we've had.

Chief Deputy Jarrett Walton of the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office says, "If you become stranded on the ice, call for help. We would rather have trained responders assist than someone falling in the water."

Thankfully none of the anglers or anyone from the rescue crews were injured in the incident and no one fell into the frigid water.

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Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

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