Russia’s emergency services confirmed on Wednesday that all 139 fishermen who had been stranded on an ice floe in the Sea of Okhotsk, located in the Western Pacific, had been rescued.
Initially, the ministry reported that around 300 fishermen were stranded, with some refusing to leave without their catch. The ministry shared several videos of the rescue operation, including one where fishermen were seen walking on snowy ice as they moved away from the rescuers.
Subsequently, the ministry announced via Telegram that the rescue effort, which involved helicopters and vessels, successfully brought all 139 fishermen to safety.
The reasons behind such a large group of fishermen gathering in the area in Russia’s Sakhalin region remain unclear. The Sakhalin winter fishing season traditionally begins in early February, with an active biting period lasting until April.
Earlier, the ministry explained that a crack in the ice, about 10 meters (33 feet) wide, had formed from the Russian village of Malki to the mouth of the Dolinka River, leaving the fishermen adrift in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Winters in Russia’s Sakhalin region, which includes Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands, are long, cold, and snowy, often lasting more than five months.
