DE PERE, (WTAQ) - Eight men were rescued in De Pere Friday morning as they floated down the Fox River on a large piece of ice where they were fishing – and they were stranded for about an hour. The men were connected to the shore at the start. But one of them called 911 around 7:15, after he noticed that the ice had floated away close to Voyageur Park. Winds were gusting up to 35-miles-an-hour at the time – and De Pere Fire Chief Robert Kiser said the winds and the colder temperatures made the rescue effort difficult. The floating ice was about 80-feet long and 40-feet wide. Some of the men reportedly didn’t know the ice was floating until they saw currents in the hole where they were fishing. They were in a shelter at the time. A De Pere fire boat and Brown County’s airport were used in the rescues. The men were told to leave without taking anything with them. Kiser says it might be Satruday before they get their belongings – and whatever fish they caught. -
