After wondering if there would ever be ice this winter, the United States Coast Guard has kept busy with rescue calls over the past two weeks. The latest scare came on Wednesday before 2 p.m. when a caller told the dispatch center that they thought a truck went through the ice near Little Sturgeon. The United States Coast Guard employed their airboat to help, but it was a false alarm. Earlier this week, they had to rely on that airboat to rescue a man who floated away from shore near Cedar Creek Road in the Bay of Green Bay. Machinery Technician (MK2) 2nd Class Colton Perkins says there are clusters of ice shanties near Little Sturgeon in Door County and Bayshore County Park in Brown County, most of which are prepared just in case they find themselves distressed. Echoing a similar theme this winter, Perkins says ice anglers must stay on top of changing conditions.

The United States Coast Guard regularly goes on “ice runs” around the peninsula to not just keep track of changing conditions, but also to check on traffic coming on and off the ice. Based on what they see during those ice runs, the United States Coast Guard forms rescue plans with local agencies to play out what-if scenarios in case something does occur. Ice conditions may continue to deteriorate, with the National Weather Service forecasting rain into the weekend and daytime temperatures staying above the freezing mark through next Wednesday.