Ice Floe Incident Prompts Water Rescue Near Cressy

Date: March 17, 2023

Emergency crews were called into action Friday morning after three individuals became stranded on a drifting ice floe near Cressy Bayside Road.

Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue received the call shortly after 9:30 a.m. when the ice they were standing on broke free from the shoreline and began moving down the channel. As the floe drifted farther from land, one person was able to safely leap back to shore before it entered open water roughly one kilometre out.

Firefighters launched a rescue boat and reached the remaining two individuals, bringing them back to shore without injury.

Following the incident, PEC Fire and Rescue issued a reminder to residents to avoid ice-covered waterways altogether. With fluctuating temperatures, rainfall, and ongoing ice-breaking activity in local waters, ice conditions are becoming increasingly unstable.

Officials also noted that ice-breaking operations have recently taken place in Adolphus Reach and Picton Bay, further contributing to dangerous conditions across the region.

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