Two ice fishermen rescued from the Willow Flowage

Two men who were ice fishing on the Willow Flowage on March 7 had to be rescued after they broke through the ice.

Larry Mathein, chief for the Little Rice fire department and incident commander, said he estimated the two men were approximately 300 feet from shore at the time. 

At one point in the rescue operation, he asked for a MEDEVAC helicopter and a landing zone was prepared in the Willow Dam parking lot. 

However, the helicopter wasn’t needed and the men, once they were out of the 32-degree water and ashore, were initially checked over by ambulance personnel and then transported by ambulance to a hospital. 

Mathein said both men were out of the water before airboats from the Newbold and Minocqua fire departments arrived. 

“Which was a blessing,” he said, adding he talked to the men Friday morning. “They’re doing much better, obviously. They said when they went out, they figured there was four to six inches of ice and it was fine. While they were out there, they heard the ice start to crack and make noises.”

Mathein said the men told him as they started to head for shore, one of them broke through the ice “and then the next one broke through.”

“Experienced ice fishermen,” he said. “They just had to get that last fish or something, I don’t know.”

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].