BY PHIL WHEELER
It is the middle of winter in Ohio. Snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles could be seen and heard as they zoomed across the ice of Lake Erie. Tent cities had begun to sprout up, the Lake Erie ice fishing was luring crowds of anglers, and past history was ample proof accidents could happen.
The United States Coast Guard crews at the Marblehead Station have to be ready in winter for mishaps on the ice. To make sure the crews and equipment are always ready, each year the hardy officers head out on the Lake Erie ice to conduct ice rescue training.