Dangers of being on water bodies during the thawing period
One of the most popular places for recreation, favored by both children and adults, in summer and winter, is water bodies – rivers, lakes, and ponds.
In winter, most water bodies are covered with ice, which poses a serious danger, especially during thaws.
Most often, those who suffer are winter fishing enthusiasts and children. Fishermen, engrossed in their favorite pastime, forget about safety measures, while children choose the ice as a place for their winter leisure activities – skating, sledding, and playing hockey. People often fall through the ice while trying to shorten their route by crossing the ice from one bank to another. To prevent accidents and incidents on water bodies, rescuers recommend following safety rules.
Stepping onto the ice always carries a high risk and poses a significant danger to life. A person who finds themselves in the water can perish not only from drowning but also from hypothermia, which can occur within 10 minutes of immersion in cold water.
This is important to know:
-ice thickness of at least 10 cm in fresh water and 15 cm in salt water is considered safe for a person;-the strength of the ice is weakened at the mouths and tributaries of rivers, in areas of fast currents, springs, drainage waters, and areas with aquatic vegetation, trees, bushes, and reeds;
-if the air temperature remains above 0ºC for more than three days, the strength of the ice decreases by 25%;
-ice strength can be visually determined: blue ice is strong, white ice is half as strong, gray, matte white, or yellowish ice is unreliable.
What to do if you fall into the water:
-do not panic, do not make sudden movements, stabilize your breathing; spread your arms to the sides and try to grab the edge of the ice, positioning your body horizontally in the direction of the current;
-carefully try to lie on your chest on the edge of the ice and throw one leg, then the other, onto the ice;
-if the ice holds, roll over and slowly crawl towards the shore;
-crawl in the direction from which you came, as the ice there has already been tested for strength.
If you need help:
-arm yourself with any long stick, board, pole, or rope. You can tie together scarves, belts, or clothing;
-crawling, widely spreading your arms and legs, pushing rescue devices in front of you, carefully move towards the hole in the ice;
-stop a few meters away from the person in the water, throw them a rope, a piece of clothing, or offer a stick or pole;
-carefully pull the victim onto the ice, and together crawl out of the danger zone;
-crawl in the direction from which you came;
-take the victim to a warm place.
Provide assistance: remove their clothing, vigorously rub their body (until the skin turns red) with a cloth soaked in alcohol or with your hands, and give the victim hot tea. Under no circumstances give the victim alcohol, as this can lead to fatal consequences in such cases.
Fishermen are advised to go onto the ice wearing life jackets. For safety, it is necessary to carry a rope, one end of which is attached to some weight, while the other end with a loop is on the waist. In case of falling through the ice, this device will help the fisherman stay afloat longer, and rescuers to pull them out of the hole more quickly. While fishing on the ice, fishermen are prohibited from drilling holes less than 1 meter apart. After fishing, the holes should be marked with stakes that are clearly visible on the ice surface.
Full compliance with the specified water behavior rules is a guarantee of safety for everyone.
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