Ice search right now in Oshkosh

Updated: Sunday, 08 Jan 2012, 3:51 PM CST
Published : Sunday, 08 Jan 2012, 6:45 AM CST

Winnebago County officials searched most the day for the body of a man who reportedly went through the ice on the Fox River.

It happened in Oshkosh at the end of Rockwell Drive, near the AxelTech plant and the UW-Oshkosh campus. Dive crews were out on the water as soon as the situation was called in shortly after 2:30 Sunday morning.

In the early morning hours Sunday, dive crews from both the Oshkosh Fire Department and the Winnebago County Sheriff's department took to the Fox River, searching for a man that broke through a thin veil of ice.

"There was a security guard from AxelTech, who heard somebody yelling for help, came over to investigate, and saw the person in the water," said Lt. Greg Cianciolo, with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department.

That call for help came in shortly after 2:30 in the morning.

"We haven't had any reports of missing people yet. So at this point, it's simply based on eyewitness information that we're conducting the investigation," said Cianciolo, later Sunday morning.

By mid-day, officials say the search and rescue mission had turned into a recovery mission.

"We're focusing on an area 75 to 100 feet square around the initial location that was given to us. We'll continue to grid out that area and expand the search as needed," said Cianciolo.

Rescue crews say they don't understand why anyone would go out on the ice when it's so thin, and the temperatures have been so warm.

"It's 40 degrees in the first week of January. It's kind of unheard of. The ice right now is not safe for people to be walking on," said Don Herman, who runs Sunk, an ice rescue and recovery company in the Lake Winnebago area.

Those who respond to ice rescues say this incident unfortunately isn't the first in the area this winter season.

"We've had multiple calls already of either cars or people through the ice, and the ice is really not safe anywhere right now, really," said Cianciolo.

Another warning of safety, as officials continue to search for answers of what could be yet another icy accident.

The officials on scene Sunday said the search would continue throughout the day.