MOSCOW — Four people were confirmed dead yesterday, after a group of Russian anglers on the Pacific island of Sakhalin were carried out to sea when the ice they were fishing on broke free from the coastline, officials said.

The fatalities occurred when a rescue boat overturned in bad weather, leaving two rescue workers and two fishermen dead.

Russian news agencies said 15 anglers became stranded after setting out despite warnings from the emergency services. The remaining fishermen were all rescued. Ice fishing is wildly popular throughout Russia, with legions of anglers taking to frozen rivers, lakes and seas to fish through holes in the ice.