Game&Fish1PETTIBONE, N.D. (AP) – Two anglers had to be rescued from a North Dakota lake when they couldn’t get back to shore after the ice heaved and melted away from the shoreline.

The state Game and Fish Department on Wednesday said the men were rescued Tuesday night from Round Lake near Pettibone. Wildlife and law enforcement officers used an airboat to reach the stranded anglers and transport them back to shore.

The department says district game warden Greg Hastings was notified of the incident around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday and remained in contact by cellphone with the anglers until officers arrived to the lake about 9 p.m. The rescue lasted about 30 minutes.

Game and Fish enforcement chief Robert Timian says the incident is a “critical warning” that ice conditions can change throughout the day.