Fire chief encourages residents to be careful when venturing on ice
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By EMC News
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Tweet ThisEMC News - Ottawa Fire Chief John deHooge urges residents to practice caution when venturing on the ice on area rivers and lakes this time of year.
Besides warmer-than-usual temperatures, other factors - such as currents, water depth, and fluctuating water levels - also weaken the ice. Any one or more of these factors can quickly change ice safety conditions from one day to the next.
If you are alone and fall through the ice:
- call for help and resist the instinctive urge to climb back out where you fell in,
- use the trapped air in your winter clothing to float on your stomach,
- reach forward to the broken ice without pushing down,
- kick your legs in order to push your upper body onto the ice.
Do not stand up once you are out of the water. Rolling away or crawling on your stomach disperses your weight evenly to secure a safer journey to shore and avoid falling through the ice again.
If you are with other individuals and someone falls through the ice, remember that the safest way to perform a rescue is from shore. First, call 9-1-1 for help. Check to see if you can reach the person with a long-branch or pole from shore. If so, lie down and extend the pole to the individual.
However, if you do go onto the ice, wear a personal floating device (if one is available) and use a branch or pole to both test the ice in front of you and use as a rescue device to reach the person. Also, a weighted rope or line can be used. You can even use your belt as a rescue tool.
When you are near where the ice broke, ensure you crawl flat on your stomach and extend the rescue device to the individual. Ensure the person kicks his or her legs to allow their torso to push onto the ice. Then move the person safely to shore and signal for help.
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