A New Brunswick fisherman was rescued from an ice floe on Monday night after his cries for help were heard by people on shore.
Lameque RCMP responded to a report around 7 p.m. that someone was possibly trapped on the ice off Pointe-Canot in the northeastern part of the province.
Police and residents gathered along the shore and could hear the man’s calls for help, but because it was dark and the ice floe was drifting, it was difficult to determine the man’s exact location.
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The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) was called and dispatched a Cormorant helicopter and a Hercules aircraft from CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia.
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“It was actually thanks to the lights on the Hercules, the search lights that are on it, that the individual was located on the ice pad,” said Capt. Liam Mather, a spokesperson for JRCC Halifax.
“At that point, the ice pad had drifted close enough to shore so that the local fire department that was responding was able to reach the individual.”
RCMP say a fire department rescue boat was used to bring the 48-year-old man to shore.
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He was cold but allowed to return home after being checked by paramedics.
RCMP say it appears the man was out fishing when he got trapped on the ice.