Daily Herald
The Saskatchewan RCMP Underwater Recovery Team has issued a release warning residents against walking on the ice around this time of the year because it could still be very thin.
“Winter is coming very slowly this year. Lakes, rivers, sloughs, ponds and dugouts are slowly freezing on the surface, but there is still warm water below the surface. This creates weak ice that is unsafe. It can break under the weight of a single person,” said Corporal Jamie Diemert, Coordinator of the Saskatchewan RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT). “Please take ice very seriously. If you fall in, it is very difficult to get out of cold water while the ice is breaking around you. There is a high risk of drowning.”
The Coordinator also gave some safety tips that residents can make use of to avoid accidents, injuries or deaths to include that residents should not not walk, play, work or drive on the ice as the ice is unstable at this early season.
He further advised that residents should not walk on white or snow ice. It is the weakest type of ice because white ice traps air and snow while freezing. It is not strong and can break under the weigh of a single person. It will form when temperatures are close to zero Celsius. This is the type of ice appearing these days across Saskatchewan and it is not safe.
Residents were advised to wait for clear strong and stable ice to form before getting onto the ice. Clear ice, often appearing blue, is the strongest type of ice. It will form only when temperatures have been consistently below zero for a long time. Clear blue ice is safe only when it is of a certain thickness.
The Canadian Red Cross recommends a minimum of 15 cm (6 inches) for skating, walking or skiing in small groups, 20 cm (almost 8 inches) for larger groups, such as skating parties and 25 cm (almost 10 inches) for snowmobiles or ATVs.
Corporal Diemert cautioned that if, for any reason, anyone must be on the ice, the person should use a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and have self-rescue ice picks ready to be used.
Also Demerit said that if you fall in the water, call for help. Do not press on the ice near you to raise yourself up. Instead, swim out of the water horizontally and kick your legs to propel yourself out of the water. Once out of the water, don’t stand up. Instead, crawl or roll away from the area, spreading your arms and legs to evenly distribute your body weight.
Furthermore, If anyone witnesses someone on thin ice who needs help, immediately call 911. The best way to safely help a person is from the shore – or there is a high risk you could end up in the water yourself. Extend your reach with a long pole or throw the end of a rope at the person in need.
He concluded that other factors that can weaken ice that looks safe should be considered. Such factors include cracks in the ice, recent air temperatures fluctuating above and below zero Celsius, moving water under the ice, and the presence of storm sewers that bring salt from nearby roads can all make the ice unsafe.
The Underwater Recovery Team (URT) is a specialized service offered by Saskatchewan RCMP Operational Support Services. URT provides assistance on a wide variety of police operations that require underwater investigation, including missing persons, evidence retrieval and search and recovery.
