Hundreds of ice fishermen refused rescue while drifting out to sea.

Authorities reported that 374 anglers stranded on a drifting slab of sea ice declined to be rescued because they did not want to abandon their belongings or their catch.

The group had been ice fishing near Lesnoye in the Sakhalin region when a section of the frozen sea cracked and broke away from the shoreline, leaving the fishermen adrift in the Sea of Okhotsk on February 28.

Emergency services were alerted after the drifting ice floe was spotted from the shore, prompting a rapid response operation by the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM).

A rescue flotilla, consisting of inflatable dinghies, motorboats, and helicopters, was dispatched to intercept the group before the ice could drift too far out into the open Pacific.

However, when coastguard rescuers arrived, many fishermen resisted the rescue operation. Official reports indicated that they were unwilling to abandon their snowmobiles, fishing sledges, and the fish they had caught despite being advised to do so to reduce weight in the overloaded boats.

Footage from a rescue helicopter shows a long line of fishermen hauling sledges filled with gear and frozen fish while waiting to be transported to shore.

Local media in Lesnoye reported that the situation became tense, with some fishermen expressing frustration and threatening emergency workers when told they would need to leave their equipment behind.

Emergency services described the situation as difficult but eventually managed to convince the group to board the boats. Rescuers later made a second trip to recover some of the abandoned equipment after the fishermen were safely evacuated.

In a statement issued later, Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed that all 374 fishermen were taken ashore without casualties.

Officials noted that this incident was one of the largest ice floe rescues of the season and reiterated the safety warnings given annually to individuals who travel onto unstable sea ice for fishing.

Ice fishing is a long-standing tradition in Russia, especially in winter when the Sea of Okhotsk freezes. Anglers use snowmobiles to reach the ice, towing sledges with gear and setting up camp to catch fish like flounder, cod, and smelt through hand-drilled holes.

However, rising temperatures and thaw cycles have made ice fishing more dangerous, particularly in coastal areas. In recent years, authorities have reported an increase in rescues due to the ice breaking away, as shifting currents and weather patterns can weaken even thick ice.

Authorities urged fishermen to exercise greater caution and to consult local forecasts and advisories before venturing onto the ice.