Man rescued off ice by U.S. chopper crew

Detroit-based coast guard unit called in for Canadian in distress on Lake St. Clair

CHATHAM Chatham-kent OPP called on the United States Coast Guard to rescue a man from the frigid water of Lake St. Clair.

OPP responded to a marine incident Sunday around 6:43 p.m., after receiving a call about a man who had fallen through the ice on the lake.

The man was located with the assistance of the Chatham-kent police, fire and EMS, said the OPP.

But, with no way of reaching the man, the U.S. Coast Guard was asked to respond.

According to the reporting source, “they could hear screams for help” after the person fell through the ice, said a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman.

Lt. Matthew Zavalij, public affairs officer with USCG Air Station Detroit, said a four-member search and rescue crew launched after receiving a call from USCG District 9 in Cleveland, which is responsible for the Great Lakes.

He added the Canadian Coast Guard, based in Sarnia, provided a location for the missing person.

The only information Zavalij had regarding the person is he was an elderly man from Canada.

“They were actually able to find the gentleman pretty quickly using our thermal imaging camera,” Zavalij said, adding the elderly man from Canada was located in the eastern part of the lake.

He said aviation survival technician Chief Brian Kirkendall was lowered from the helicopter where he found the man lying on the ice.

“He realized very quickly he was soaking wet, was obviously hypothermic, so they decided to effect an immediate rescue right there,” Zavalij said.

He didn’t have confirmation the man was ice-fishing, but noted that he “had broken through the ice and had managed to get himself back onto the ice.”

They crew got the man hoisted into the helicopter and transported him to the Windsor airport where the Canadian Coast Guard had co-ordinated to have an ambulance waiting.

The man was taken to hospital as a precaution, police said.