The fishermen were rescued on Wednesday, Feb. 12, after being stranded on an ice floe in the Sea of Okhotsk between Russian and Japan
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More than 100 fishermen have been rescued after becoming trapped on floating ice.
According to Reuters, 139 men were rescued on Wednesday, Feb. 12, after being stranded on an ice floe floating in the Sea of Okhotsk between Russia and Japan.
The fishermen reportedly became stranded when a crack that was 10-meters (32-feet) long caused a block of ice to break away from the island of Sakhalin before floating to Okhotsk in the western Pacific, according to CNN.
Russia’s emergency services previously said that there were around 300 that were stranded and some of them refused “to leave without a catch under any circumstances,” per Reuters. CNN reported that the emergency services described the men as “extreme sports enthusiasts.”
Clips of the rescue operation posted by the ministry showed a fisherman walking away from rescuers on snowy ice, per Reuters, while a video shared on Telegram showed some of the fishermen being guided to a helicopter during strong wind conditions before boarding the aircraft.
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According to the outlets, the rescue operation included a Mi-8 helicopter and a Khivus hovercraft, which can travel on ice and water.
The ministry later confirmed on Telegram that helicopters and vessels had successfully brought all 139 stranded people to the shore, per Reuters.
The outlet added that while it’s currently unknown why so many fishermen gather in Russia’s Sakhalin region, the Sakhalin winter fishing season starts in early February and lasts until April.
PEOPLE has contacted the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation for comment
