Particle.news
Download on the App Store

FinnishSwedish Team Rescues Two Stranded Skiers From Bothnian Bay Ice Floe

The cross-border operation underscored the unpredictable behavior of sea ice in the northern Baltic.

Overview

  • The pair triggered a distress beacon around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday while attempting a roughly 166-kilometre OuluLuleå ski crossing, prompting a joint FinnishSwedish search.
  • Rescuers located them about five hours later and brought them to shore cold but in otherwise good condition, according to the Finnish Coast Guard.
  • They had camped on the frozen bay when the ice fractured overnight, sending most of their equipment into the water.
  • After reaching a larger floe, they increased their visibility by shaping a large SOS from snow and ice for aircraft to spot.
  • Finnish media reported the two as a German man and woman, though authorities have not officially confirmed their nationality.