PORT CLINTON, Ohio (AP) - A northern Ohio sheriff who had harsh words for ice fishermen after they got trapped on Lake Erie last month is refusing to apologize.
Ottawa County Sheriff Bob Bratton met with a group of anglers Thursday to hear their ideas about what to do the next time someone needs to be rescued.
Fisherman Chris Sutton said he wanted the sheriff to apologize for saying it was idiotic to ice fish on a day when the temperature reached 50 degrees. But Bratton stood by his comment.
Bratton is considering forcing fishermen to cover the costs for ice rescues. He also asked the group to help develop a plan to inform inexperienced anglers when conditions are dangerous.
Authorities in Ottawa County say they spent about $20,000 plucking about 130 fishermen off the ice near Toledo in early February. The Coast Guard estimates that it spent more than $245,000.
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Information from: Port Clinton News-Herald
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