Chicago firefighters rescue man who walked 1,000 feet on to Lake Michigan and apparently didn't realize it

A man in Chicago went for a walk on Friday morning – only to end up hundreds of yards offshore on top of Lake Michigan's icy surface. The man, who apparently didn't know he was on the lake, was rescued 1,000 feet away from land, the Chicago Fire Department wrote on Twitter.

Police and fire officials said the man was spotted around 7:20 a.m, according to CBS Chicago. A helicopter and rescue squad from the city's fire department responded and rescuers walked an inflatable raft to the man, helping him get on solid ground. 

"This rescue went smoothly but the outcome could have easily been a tragedy," the fire department tweeted, sharing photos of the rescue. "Avoid the ice at all costs. No ice is safe ice!"