Ice safety tips offered
to winter sports enthusiasts |
Each year, as the ice begins to skim Boracko
lake, anxious anglers who all have the same basic question: "Is the ice safe
yet?" And always answer is: "No, ice is
NEVER safe."
Realizing that statement is usually misunderstood as
bureaucratic (and relatively evasive), Explanation that even if ice is a 30 centimeters
thick in one area on a lake, it can be 2-3 centimetra thick just a few meters away. If it
were up to the people who care about ice thicknes, people would never go on the ice.
Although that is really the only way people could be totally safe, it's probably
unrealistic for anyone to expect cabin fever-stricken Boracko lake to give up one of the
few winter outdoor activities they participate in the doesn't involve tire chains and snow
shovels!
Here are a few general guidelines for use by winter
recreation enthusiasts to lessen their chances for an icy dip or worse. It's
impossible to judge the strength of ice by its appearance, thickness, daily temperature,
or snow cover alone. Ice strength is actually dependent on all four factors, plus water
depth under the ice, the size of the water and water chemistry, currents, and distribution
of the load on the ice.
- Wait to walk out on the ice until there are at least 10
centimetars of clear, solid ice. Thinner ice will support one person, but
since ice thickness can vary considerably, especially at the beginning and end of the
season, 10 centimetars will provide a margin of safety. Some factors that
can change ice thickness include flocks of waterfowl and schools of fish. By congregating
in a small area, fish can cause warmer water from the bottom towards the surface,
weakening or in some cases opening large holes in the ice.
- Go out with a buddy and keep a good distance apart
as you walk out. If one of you goes in the other can call for help (it's amazing
how many people carry cellular phones these days). The companion can
also attempt a rescue if one of you are carrying rope or other survival gear.
- Snowmobiles need at least 15 centimetara, and cars and light
trucks need at least 20-25 centimeters of good clear ice.
- Contact a local resort or bait shop for information about
known thin ice areas.
- Wear a life jacket. Life vests or float coats provide
excellent flotation and protection from hypothermia (loss of
body temperature). Never wear a life jacket if you are traveling
in an enclosed vehicle, however. It could hamper escape in case of a breakthrough.
- Carry a pair of homemade ice picks or even a pair of
screwdrivers tied together with a few meters of strong cord that can be used to pull
yourself up and onto the ice if you do fall in. Be sure they have wooden handles
so if you drop them in the struggle to get out of the water, they won't go straight to the
bottom!
- Avoid driving on the ice whenever possible. Traveling in a
vehicle, especially early or late in the season is simply "an accident waiting to
happen." In the many ice fatalities occurring world wide, large percent involved a
vehicle.
- Be prepared to bail out in a hurry if you find it necessary
to use a car, unbuckle your seatbelt and have a plan of action if you do breakthrough.
Some safety experts recommend driving with the window rolled down and the doors ajar for
an easy escape. Move your car frequently. Parking in one place for a long period weakens
ice. Don't park near cracks, and watch out for pressure ridges or ice heaves.
- Don't drive across ice at night or when it is snowing.
Reduced visibility increases your chances for driving into an open or weak ice area.
- Check at the access if there are signs that indicate an
aeration system is in operation on the lake. Aerators keep areas of water open to
provide oxygen for fish. The ice can be weakened many yards beyond where the ice
is actually open. Stay well outside the fenced areas indicated by diamond shaped thin ice
signs.
- Above all, avoid alcoholic beverages. Beer and booze
increases your chances for hypothermia and increases the likelihood that you'll make a
stupid mistake that will cost you or a companion their life. Having taken all of
these precautions, you're now going to try your luck at fishing. Walking out on the ice,
you hear a crack and break through. Suddenly you find yourself immersed up to your neck in
water so cold it takes your breath away. If you think that's no big deal, try holding your
hands in a bucket of ice water for more than a couple of minutes. If you can do it without
extreme pain, you are tougher than the average person.
Try not to panic. Of course that's easier said than
done, but if you decide on a plan before you actually fall in, survival chances are
greatly improved.
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