Yep. it says 8 feet long.

that's some crack reporting there, CNN. HAHAHA

If they're anything like any of the ice fishermen I know, they're still fishing.

/and drinking
//tfa did say they were in "good spirits"

Barnacles!: Yep. it says 8 feet long.

that's some crack reporting there, CNN. HAHAHA

That's cold, barnacles!

but they fixed in now, much unlike subby's headline.

Goimir: but they fixed in now

I just checked it again, and they haven't fixed it.

I just cam in from running errands and the radio said 100 people, another station said as many as 120, then back to the first station who updated to 150, now this headline claims hundreds.

People, STOP boarding the ice flo!

Barnacles!: Goimir: but they fixed in now

I just checked it again, and they haven't fixed it.

Oh, I see it now. I never read the captions. I just read the article.

At least everyone is pretty chilled.

Ice Flo?

"Some people are on four-wheelers, she said, while others are fishermen."

Why not let them drift for a few days and see who survives the Darwinian winnowing?

I have boated on and swum in Lake Erie, and I can assure everyone it is more than eight feet long.

Not sure about Lake Eerie, though.

Anyone got a screencap of the 8-foot long floe??

There has to be a better way to get rid of old people.

eskimo retirement party!

Current caption: "People were stuck when an 8-mile-long chunk of Lake Erie ice broke away near Toledo, Ohio."

Fixed, apparently.

JasonOfOrillia: There has to be a better way to get rid of old people.

But it's an old PA dutch tradition.

Barnacles!: my favorite example of CNN fail:

img3.imageshack.us

I came for this pic, and was not disappointed.

Ice flow, nowhere to go...
Ice flow, nowhere to go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IjGNJPNyzU

/the endless... ness

Warmest day on record for this time of year (at least in Toronto)...really makes ya think: ice-fishing weather!

It's fixed now. Sadly.

Wrong_Intentions: It's fixed now. Sadly.

Came in to point this out.

Sarah Palin, confusing stranded people with polar bears.

If there are any retards in existence in these numbers elsewhere, please let us know.

EVERY YEAR, a number of retards do this same thing out on the ice of all of the great lakes in the US. They cost all of us a lot of dollars every year in having their dumb asses rescued.

They should be forced to pay for the entire cost of rescuing their dumb asses, or left to swim for shore.

If they can't pay? Let their stupid asses drown.

It's funny how hicks are afraid of terrorists, but their real enemy is Darwin.

The entire rescue thing seems kind of like thwarting survival of the fittest. I mean over the past week the region has been warming up, so most of us are smart enough to stay off the ice. For that matter when you have to lay boards over the ice to get out onto it, that is nature's way of suggesting you stay on dry land.

deadapostle: It's funny how hicks are afraid of terrorists, but their real enemy is Darwin.

Those who ban the teaching of natural selection are doomed to exprience it?

FTA:

'WTOL reporter Colleen Wells said she had spoken with some of those rescued, and they reported that they went out on the ice this morning as people had laid planks over the cracks in the ice.'


That is so many flavours of stupid...

jtr: Warmest day on record for this time of year (at least in Toronto)...really makes ya think: ice-fishing weather!

It was HOT here (for February). Sounds like it was HOT there too. I would not want to go on ICE in this weather.

Where is the dumbass tag? It wasn't like they weren't WARNED this could happen. The wifie, who lived in OH for a good number of years, suggests the Ohio tag should also apply.

/Watched kids drowning ... errr.. Sloshing on the local outdoor rink today.
//Holy crud, there were "lakes" all over the sidewalks from the melting snowbanks.

"They're in good spirits," Wells said. "They feel kind of embarrassed."


As well they should be. Idiots

One person dead?

Thanks Obama!

Yup, all fixed. They did leave in this gem, though-

"At least 100 and as many as 500 people were stranded, authorities said. iReport.com: Are you there? Share your photos, story"

TiltedKilt: "Some people are on four-wheelers, she said, while others are fishermen."
Why not let them drift for a few days and see who survives the Darwinian winnowing?

Sadly, the way it works now is that the rescuers will risk their lives and safety to prevent the Darwinian process.
CNN reports one dead already, even money says it is a rescuer the way things are worded.

See....GLOBAL WARMING, it's killing people!

deadapostle: It's funny how hicks are afraid of terrorists, but their real enemy is Darwin themselves.

FTFE

anybody who goes out on one of the great lakes on a warm windy day should expect to end up adrift. Let em drown you'll see a significant increase in the average IQ.


/well maybe not it is Ohio after all.

FTFA:
'WTOL reporter Colleen Wells said she had spoken with some of those rescued, and they reported that they went out on the ice this morning as people had laid planks over the cracks in the ice.'

Asshat Stuck On Ice:
I sure wish I could get onto this expanse of ice, but it seems to be slowly drifting away from the land ... ...
I know, I'll lay a plank across the gap, that should hold the ice in place until I'm done 4-wheeling!

Farking genius here ... how about we only rescue them if they agree to proceed directly to the sterilization clinic?

deadapostle Quote 2009-02-07 04:39:03 PM
huntingaotearoa.com

Sarah Palin, confusing stranded people with polar bears.


Is she the PILOT??!!!
/Because the guy with the rifle is a MAN!

If I ever find myself on an ice floe, it's time to shoot myself.

I intend to never see snow again. Ever.

CasperImproved: If there are any retards in existence in these numbers elsewhere, please let us know.

Mountain rescue out west.
Climbers in the Alps and Himalayas (prob greater overall percentage need rescuing).
Overloaded 3rd world ferry's that sink with disturbing regularity.
And of course, clowns like this:


Face it...some people are retards.

YouPeopleAreCrazy: And of course, clowns like this:

It looks like the guy in back is trying to push

I'd really love to see a good aerial photo of the floe. Anyone?

On Friday, law enforcement officials cautioned that the shifting winds and warmer temperatures could be problematic, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"It's really busy for a Friday morning," park ranger Christopher Desh told the Plain Dealer. "I expect the weekend will be a madhouse."

Ottawa County Sheriff Robert Bratton told the newspaper that officials would be ready for any hazards the weather posed.

"Big winds can mean shifting ice, large cracks opening up and stranded ice fishermen," he said. "Everyone will be ready, just in case."

Ok, so officials already had an inkling that this was going to happen yesterday but musta figured, what the heck it's the weekend, let the schmucks have fun, we can use the practice.

At least 100 and as many as 500 people were stranded, authorities said. iReport.com: Are you there? Share your photos, story

Geez. That's as bad as Time.com's (See completely unrelated photo gallery here) links at the end of paragraphs.

Sylvia_Bandersnatch: I'd really love to see a good aerial photo of the floe. Anyone?

My wife's on her period. Let me just grab my camera.

radio just said the dead guy was trying to find a way back to shore, so i'm not sure if it was a rescue worker or what.

the ice on that side of the lake CAN be safe on a warm day if the wind/currents are ok, but considering the weather service issued a freaking warning AND people were passing over cracks in the ice big enough that they had to lay down planks to cross?

if i were in charge of the rescue effort, i think i'd be yelling into the megaphone: "you idiots had better hope the wind shifts again and brings you back to shore or that it gets really cold really fast, otherwise i hope you packed enough food to survive the trip to canada..."

lots of folks up there are pretty experienced with going out on the ice, too, so it just blows my mind. maybe the first 10 idiots didn't know what they were doing and then everyone else is all like "hey, there's a bunch of people out there, it must be safe..."? ugh.

i doubt rescuers will be in too much danger unless something goes horribly wrong, but it's certainly still some risk anytime you're up in a helicopter and the expense/time wasted on it, man.

the only unusual thing is the number of people, i guess. it's not that unusual for an ice-fisherman or two to get stuck somewhere on the ice as the weather warms up... but "100 to 500" is a lot.

Hmm. According to Wikipedia, the news reports are mistaken:

"An ice floe is a floating chunk of ice that is less than 10 kilometers (six miles) in its greatest dimension. Wider chunks of ice are called ice fields."

Not like anyone cares, just saying.

deadapostle: Sarah Palin, confusing stranded people with polar bears.

Now THAT'S some sport.

The Mad Highlander: My wife's on her period. Let me just grab my camera.

And I thought Barnacles! was cold...

sparkyfarky: Ok, so officials already had an inkling that this was going to happen yesterday but musta figured, what the heck it's the weekend, let the schmucks have fun, we can use the practice.

FTFA:
One person died Saturday in connection with the rescue of hundreds of people cast adrift on an ice floe in Lake Erie, a Coast Guard official involved in the effort said.

At least one person did not get the full benefit of that practice.
As I said above, the biggest casualties in these situations tend to be the rescuers. I suppose that if we didn't kill off the brave, selfless, hardworking members of society the stupid might not be able to breed us into Idiocracy quite as quickly.

This update (new window) explains the one death so far, and also contains a lovely Fark-worthy quote.