675 rescued from ice floe in Russia

VZMORYE, Russia, April 1 (UPI) -- Emergency officials say 675 people were rescued from a drifting ice floe in the Sea of Okhotsk in far Eastern Russia.

The Far Eastern regional center of the Russian Ministry for Emergencies received a report Sunday afternoon at the Sakhalin branch of the ministry that hundreds of anglers were drifting out to sea on an ice floe near the village of Vzmorye.

ITAR-Tass reported the ministry dispatched helicopters, eight boats and a hovercraft to recover the anglers. Initial reports said about 400 people were stranded on the ice floe; however, emergency workers rescued a total of 675.