Minnesota ice rescue: 200 people evacuated off chunk in Upper Red Lake

BELTRAMI COUNTY, Minn. (WLS) — Two hundred people had to be evacuated off an ice chunk in Upper Red Lake in Minnesota.

The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office said it got a call about “an estimated 100 people” stranded on the ice chunk at about 11:30 a.m.

The sheriff’s office said a temporary ice bridge was put over open water at the JR’s Corner access to help people off the ice. They were aided by first responders.

By 2:40 p.m., sheriff’s office officials determined around 200 people had been evacuated and no one was left on the ice.

The sheriff’s office reminded people that early ice is “very unpredictable” and cautioned them to use extreme caution when venturing out onto ice.