Author Survives Bear Attack, Writes Novel About Ice Fishing Rescue

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Alex Messenger, an author from Duluth, Minnesota, has written a new novel called "The Ice on the Lake" that was inspired by a real-life 2021 incident where a group of 26 anglers became stranded on an ice floe that broke off in Lake Superior. Messenger, who was part of the rescue squad but did not go on that particular call, was intrigued by the story of the final survivor who walked towards Wisconsin on the ice, hoping it was still connected to shore.

Why it matters

Messenger's novel taps into a dramatic real-life rescue story that captured national attention, while also drawing from his own experiences as a member of a local rescue squad and as a survivor of a grizzly bear attack that he wrote about in a previous nonfiction book.

The details

Messenger's new novel, "The Ice on the Lake," is about an elderly loner named Hugh whose solo ice fishing trip turns disastrous when his chunk of ice breaks off, forcing him to try and survive for days while unsure if anyone even knows he's missing. The idea for the story came to Messenger after hearing the details of the 2021 Lake Superior ice floe rescue, where 26 anglers had to be saved.

• In 2021, a team of rescuers from Duluth, Minnesota came to the aid of 26 anglers stranded on an ice floe that broke off in Lake Superior.
• Messenger was part of the local rescue squad but did not go on the call to save the stranded anglers.
• After hearing the details of the rescue, including the story of the final survivor who walked towards Wisconsin on the ice, Messenger began developing the idea for his novel "The Ice on the Lake."

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