Dozens of people became stranded over the weekend on an ice floe on the Upper Red Lake in northwestern Minnesota, officials said.

The latest word from the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office was that 40 to 50 people were on a sheet of ice that broke away from shore, prompting the dispatch of several responders to the scene.

“Unfortunately, this is a common event for emergency responders in Beltrami County,” Christ Muller, the county’s spokesman, said Sunday night.

Muller said ice shifted and separated from shore due to strong winds in the area. Unusually warm weather also is a possible factor in the ice being unstable for it to support people.

Upper Red Lake is a very popular fishing destination,” Muller said, “frequently utilized before ice is stable, resulting in the need to rescue people either from falling through the ice or floating on ice [floes].”

In late November 2022, about 200 anglers had to be rescued off an ice floe on the Upper Red Lake.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommends that ice on bodies of water be at least 4 inches thick before it can support people on foot.