Nizhny Novgorod News Agency – Arseny Solovey

Two elderly fishermen rescued from drifting ice floe in Nizhny Novgorod

Emergency responders rescued two fishermen stranded on a drifting ice floe near the Nizhny Novgorod River Port, the press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry's regional branch reported.

At 2:35 p.m. on March 29, a distress call came through the 112 emergency line from the fishermen, whose ice floe had broken away and was drifting downstream from the Nizhny Novgorod Port toward the River Terminal. Rescue teams and an operational response unit from the regional Emergencies Ministry were immediately dispatched to the scene.

By 3:14 p.m., emergency rescue squad personnel had reached the ice floe by boat and brought both men safely to shore. The fishermen—born in 1938 and 1957—were reported to be in satisfactory condition and did not require medical assistance.

The rescue operation involved on-duty crews from Nizhny Novgorod's Emergency Rescue Unit and the regional rescue service, inspectors from the State Small Vessel Inspection (GIMC) of the regional Emergencies Ministry, firefighting units, transport police, and medical personnel—39 people and 10 vehicles in total.

Over the past 24 hours, emergency rescue teams across the city and region responded to 25 calls, including 14 to assist the public, two for traffic accident aftermath, four for fires, and one for a water rescue.