Hundreds of Russian fishermen were recently rescued from ice-floes which began to drift after breaking away from the shore off Sakhalin island in the Sea of Okhotsk. The anglers had been fishing through holes drilled in the ice, a traditional winter pursuit for many Russians. The Emergencies Ministry rescued all 442 people who were adrift, although about 70 had initially refused to leave without their gear. One ministry official was quoted as saying many of those rescued were in a state of “heavy alcoholic intoxication”.