8 fishermen rescued from the Fox River

DE PERE - Eight people had to be rescued from the Fox River in De Pere Friday morning. They were fishing off the shore of Voyageur Park and became stranded after the ice broke free, floated away, and left them surrounded by open water.

And while all were rescued safely, DePere Fire Chief Robert Kiser told Fox 11 on Saturday that the people will now be billed $500 each for causing extensive rescue operations on the ice.

The De Pere Fire Department and Brown County rescuers were dispatched to the scene a little after 7 a.m, Friday. Using two boats and communication between teams both on shore and on the water, authorities were able to get all eight people, along with their rescuers, safely back to shore.

Rescuers inched their way through water and ice to save eight fishermen - one by one - from a slab of loose ice on the Fox River.

Mitch Wallrich was among the anglers to be rescued. It wasn't much earlier he was enjoying what he thought would be a typical day of ice fishing with his friends.

"We were just fishing, and all of a sudden the current really picked up," Wallrich said.

"Water started going kind of weird underneath the holes," another fisherman, Andrew Forves, said. "We saw a bunch of feathers and stuff floating."

Mitch: "And the guys next to us yell that we were broken off shore," Wallrich said. "So immediately we started packing up, called 911."

It wasn't an easy task for rescuers, who battled the snow, ice and brutal winds.

"The ice was treacherous," De Pere Fire Chief Kiser said. "This wind is breaking up the ice and moving it around. We certainly recommend not going on the ice at this time."

And it wasn't easy for Wallrich, as he watched the space between him and shore, grow further.

"Nervous. What's going to happen? The ice kept getting smaller and smaller."

After about an hour of rescue operations - with the De Pere Fire Department and rescuers from Brown County working together - all eight people were put into boats and safely taken back to shore.

We caught up with Wallrich and his friend, Andrew just moments after they reached land.

We asked if they thought it was worth it.

"Now, yes. An hour ago, no," Wallrich said.

Both say they'll be sticking to inland lakes for ice fishing from now on.