A rescue operation is under way to save about 200 people trapped when a huge slab of ice broke away from the shore of Lake Erie in the northern US, BBC reported.
Coast Guard officials in Ohio said boats and helicopters had so far rescued about 35 people.
No casualties have been reported. Those on the ice floe are thought to be mostly fishermen.
Fishermen say ice on Lake Erie has been particularly thick this winter, luring more people on than usual.
The slab of ice that broke off and floated away was about 8 miles (13 km) wide, the Coast Guard said.
Ice in western parts of the lake is up to 2ft (60 cm) thick, according to Bill Randel of the National Weather Service.
The ice started to crack when temperatures rose above freezing this weekend and strong gusts of wind pushed on the ice, he told AP.