A Latvian icebreaker has rescued two people who were carried into the Baltic Sea on a drifting ice floe. According to the information from the Riga Freeport, the incident occurred on Saturday evening, February 21, near Pļieņciems. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre alerted authorities that a large section of sea ice near the coast broke off, leaving two Nordic walking stranded at sea.
The two people had been walking on the frozen sea when the ice separated and began drifting away from the shore.
Following an assessment of the situation, a rescue operation was launched. The icebreaker Varma, operated by SIA “LVR flote,” a subsidiary of the Riga Freeport, was dispatched to the scene as it was the closest vessel capable of conducting the operation – approximately 35 km from the scene.
The rescue was complicated by darkness and dense ice formations, which significantly hindered navigation, the port authority noted. After five hours of intensive searching in difficult conditions, the crew located the stranded individuals around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. They called for help on their mobile phones and then shone a flashlight at the rescue ship so they could be seen.
The individuals were taken on board and later transferred to the vessel Laura and transported to the Port of Riga, where they were handed over to medical personnel.
Officials emphasized that winter conditions in the Baltic Sea can be unpredictable and dangerous, urging residents to exercise caution when walking on sea ice.
