OSHKOSH — The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office is warning that Lake Winnebago remains dangerous Saturday following multiple ice rescues overnight during a rapidly moving and dangerous snow squall.
No fatalities have officially been reported overnight, according to the sheriff’s office.
The lake is particuarly busy because of the annual winter Battle on Bago fishing tournament. Social media posts show multiple anglers hunkered down in their shanties waiting out the storm.
“The winds today remain strong, and dangerous conditions are still very present today,” read a post on the sheriff’s Facebook page.
Between Friday around 6:30 p.m. and 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Winnebago County and surrounding mutual aid public safety entities have responded to 14 ice rescues on Lake Winnebago and Lake Poygan, according to the sheriff.
Many of those rescues happened simultaneously last night.
This number does not include ice rescue events that Fond du Lac County or Calumet County may have responded to as well.
The multiple fire departments, first responders, EMS personnel, deputies, police officers, dive team members, and dispatchers who have been responding to these events can report that thankfully there were no fatalities from these 14 ice rescue events.
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