U.S. Coast Guard rescue 5 fishermen from Lake Erie ice floe

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued five fishermen from an ice floe in Lake Erie Friday.

• U.S. Coast Guard warns of weak ice on Great Lakes as temperatures rise
• U.S. Coast Guard rescues man floating on ice in Detroit River

The Detroit command centre received a distress call after the people managed to use flashlights to signal someone on shore who contacted Monroe County Dispatch.

"It would have been difficult to find them if they didn't have flashlights; it enabled them to signal for help and, ultimately, for us to locate them," explainedAir Station Detroit Aircraft Commander, Lt. Adam Morehousein a media release.

Lots of open water on lake

Recent warm weather has caused much of the ice to melt, according to the coast guard, who warned "ice sport enthusiasts" to check the forecast before heading out and to always carry flashlights, flares, VHR radios or a personal locator beacon when heading out on the lake.

"I'd also like to share with the ice-fishing community what we saw out there in regard to open water," added Morehouse."There is a lot of it. The water is completely open in some near shore areas."