Two cross-country skiers are safe and warm thanks to their ingenuity in a moment of sheer terror. A German couple was trying to ski across the frozen Gulf of Bothnia, which separates Finland and Sweden, when the ice around them broke, sending their gear plunging into the cold water. Their attempt to cross more than 100 miles of frozen sea instantly became a quest to survive. The two Germans found refuge on a floe, a floating chunk of ice, while they scrambled for safety. In an attempt to broadcast their location, the experienced outdoor enthusiasts activated their radio beacon and spelled the universal distress signal, “SOS,” with small pieces of ice. According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, border guards received the distress call and both Finland and Sweden dispatched airplanes for the rescue. The skiers were located in a matter of hours, after the coast guard spotted their message in ice. According to Finnish officials, the Germans were “of course cold,” but were unharmed when they were scooped up from the floe. According to the local maritime rescue service, conditions on the sea were very challenging. The Bothnian Bay, where the skiers were rescued, is usually frozen for up to half of the year.
Read it at The New York Post
