Two men, whose quest to recover stolen bicycles left them stranded on an island in the frigid waters of White River, were safely rescued earlier today by the Indianapolis Fire Department. The daring extraction took place near Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis, as confirmed by FOX59. The men, aged 21 and 43, had to endure nearly two hours of exposure to icy conditions after their makeshift transportation, a small black raft, drifted away.

Their ordeal began just before 1:30 a.m. when their cries for help were eventually heard by a passerby, who promptly called 911. It took the rescue crews some time to actually locate the pair, as the initial reports had them searching in a broad area. Officials reported that the firefighters had to quickly but cautiously navigate through icy waters to execute the rescue, due to the treacherous conditions that early in the morning. According to an interview in WTHR, the raft had floated away as the men were attempting to collect the bikes.

The firefighters' persistence was met with several challenges, compounded by the unavailability of an immediate accessible boat ramp. According to a report from WISH-TV, several ramps were "scouted unsuccessfully" before they were able to use the Belmont access ramp. This difficulty underscored the complexities faced by rescue operations in urban waterways where access points are not always primed for emergency situations.

Despite the adversities, the firefighters managed to reach the island around 2:45 a.m. and bring the men to safety. The victims were "unharmed but cold," as they faced the chilling embrace of the river's icy environment, according to WTHR and WISH-TV. While the unexpected pit stop forced the men to brave the elements longer than anticipated, the duo was found in good health by medics and decided against further medical treatment after warming up in the ambulance. The fate of the stolen bikes, a central element to this misadventure, remains unreported.