CHENEY ? The bodies of two Inman men were pulled Sunday morning from Cheney Lake in south-central Kansas, where they fell through the ice while fishing, authorities said.

The Reno County Sheriff’s Department identified the victims as Elmer Schmidt, 82, and Joe Goodson, 78.

The men went fishing Saturday morning. When they didn’t return home that night, a family friend went looking for them.

A medical helicopter from Wichita discovered the ice hole about 300 yards offshore with the men’s gear nearby. The bodies of the two men were recovered a short time later.

Stuart Schrag, an official with the Department of Wildlife and Parks, said measurements taken earlier in the week showed the ice on the lake was only 3 inches thick and melting, which is considered unsafe. Adding to that, the water in that area where the men were fishing is deeper and the current is stronger.