Kodiak-based Coast Guard air crews rescued two men Thursday who were trying to travel from Wales to Little Diomede using skis and kayaks to traverse the sea ice.
The Coast Guard got a report about the stranded men from aviation company Erickson. The Bering Strait ice was reportedly too thin to walk on and too thick for the men to continue in kayaks. Erickson personnel were unable to retrieve the men due to weather conditions, according to the Coast Guard.
Two helicopter crews and a plane crew were launched to rescue the men. A helicopter crew hoisted the men and took them to Nome, according to the Coast Guard.
The British travelers, Neil Laughton and James Bingham, were trying to make the trek as part of an expeditionary challenge.
"The men put on survival suits, entered the kayaks and activated their personal-locator beacon," the Coast Guard said, adding that the men were well prepared, which made the rescue easier.
The weather on the scene was reported as 23 mph winds and 2-mile visibility.