Falling glacier chunk strands two people on frozen Alaska lake, officials say
Ice climbers came to the rescue of two people who became stranded when a piece of glacier broke off and crashed onto a lake in Alaska, officials said.
No one was hurt in the incident, which happened just after 4 p.m. on Feb. 10 at Portage Lake, Alaska State Troopers wrote in a dispatch posted online.
An eyewitness, who was skating on the frozen glacial lake about a 56-mile drive southeast from Anchorage, said she heard noises and then saw the glacier break off, or calve, according to KTUU. A video she shared with the outlet shows the moment the chunk of glacier fell in a thunderous crash.
The two people jumped on rocks after the glacier broke away, the woman, Lauren Jobe, told the outlet.
Good Samaritans who were ice climbing in the area helped them to safety as multiple agencies responded, troopers said.
Girdwood Fire and Rescue, one of the responding agencies, issued a reminder to outdoor recreators in a Feb. 10 post on Facebook “to carry extra snacks, warm clothes and an inReach or (satellite) phone to prepare for the unexpected.”
The agency added that “it sounds like this group was well prepared.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Falling glacier chunk strands two people on frozen Alaska lake, officials say."
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