Divers from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office’s search and rescue team on Saturday morning, Jan. 27 recovered the body of a Granite man who fell through the ice at Phillips Reservoir while fishing on Thursday, Jan. 25.

Divers Kim Corn of Baker City and Dave Kingsbury of Richland recovered the body of Mark Norenberg, 69, around 11:30 a.m., said Ashley McClay, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.

The location was about 35 yards from shore near the bottom of the boat ramp above Mason Dam.

McClay said Norenberg’s family and friends were “truly integral in this recovery effort.”

The incident started about 2:53 p.m. on Jan. 25 when a caller to Baker County Dispatch reported seeing a chair on the frozen reservoir with a large opening beside it. There was a vehicle parked near the boat ramp, along with a dog.

The boat ramp is at the end of an access road that branches off Highway 7 about 15 miles southwest of Baker City.

A deputy who responded found the vehicle and dog. The vehicle belonged to Norenberg. McClay said his family told police that Norenberg, a longtime Granite resident, was an experienced ice angler.

A search and rescue team arrived, and Deputy Adam Robb, equipped with a dry suit and tethered to a rope, went onto the ice with a rescue raft. When he reached the chair, Robb fell through the ice.

While in the water he found items belonging to Norenberg, including a backpack and coveralls, Sheriff Travis Ash said.

Other team members pulled Robb to shore.

Ash said he met at the boat ramp on Friday, Jan. 26 with a group including Norenberg’s wife, Cindy Jo, and their son, Paul. Ash said Norenberg’s family members, who had experience in cutting ice, offered to help with the recovery.

After working with Paul on a plan to cut a channel in the ice for divers, Ash said he decided to wait until Saturday morning to start the operation to ensure there was a full day for the work if needed.

On Saturday morning, a search and rescue team including four divers, along with members of the Powder River and Greater Bowen fire districts, Baker County emergency management and Norenberg’s family and friends, returned to the reservoir. Workers set up a tent with heaters near the boat ramp.

Ash said Norenberg’s family and friends provided two small boats as well as chain saws and the people who used the saws to cut the ice.

“They cut all that ice,” Ash said. “It was really a team effort.”

McClay said the ice was 5 to 6 inches thick at the shore, but considerably thinner near the chair.

The channel was created because it was too dangerous for divers to swim under the ice, McClay said.

Once the channel was clear of ice, Corn and Kingsbury went into the water at the site where Robb had found Norenberg’s possessions. The two divers recovered Norenberg’s body and brought it to shore, McClay said.

Ash said the sheriff’s office’s search and rescue team has not trained in techniques for cutting ice, so he appreciated that Norenberg’s family and friends offered to do that task.

Ash said he always encourages family and friends to help with rescues and recoveries when they are willing and capable of participating safely.

“It’s very hard for survivors to just sit and watch,” he said.

Although a cold snap in early January formed ice on Phillips and some other local reservoirs and ponds, much warmer temperatures over the past 10 days have thinned the ice. McClay said the sheriff’s office encourages anglers to avoid going out onto ice on any local waterbody.

Ash said ice on Phillips Reservoir was “very fragile.”

“This was a very tragic, unfortunate accident,” he said. “I offer my sincerest condolences to those grieving the loss of Mark.”