Dr. Christopher Love is Water Smart and Safety Management Coordinator. He says even though we have had some colder nights, these yo-yo temperatures that we have been experiencing are not ideal for strong ice formation.

 

"So the advice right now is stay off the ice until we have a long cold spell of consistently cold temperatures, that's going to allow that ice to harden up and be nice and firm for activities," he urges.

 

Dr. Love says you want at least 10 centimetres of new, clear, hard ice before walking or skating on it, at least 12 centimetres before riding a snowmobile and at least 20 centimetres before driving a car on it. If you are considering driving a mid range truck, you will want to wait until the ice is at least 30 centimetres thick.

 

According to Dr. Love, Manitoba has on average about 21 or 22 drownings each year. About 70 per cent of those happen between the months of May and September. That means, about 30 per cent happen during the fall/ winter season. Of those, several occur when snowmobilers fall through the ice or when people walk or play on ice that is too thin.

 

"Unfortunately, we do see every year it does appear that there's one or two deaths where people are going out a little too soon," he says. "The ice is not fully formed, not strong enough and they are ending up in very dangerous and potentially tragic circumstances."

 

If you happen to see someone fall through the ice, Dr. Love says the first thing you should do is to call for help. He notes you need to immediately call 911 so that the local fire department and police can show up as quickly as possible. Dr. Love says it is also very important that you do not put yourself at risk. In fact, he suggests maintaining a safe distance and to stay on shore if at all possible.

 

Dr. Love says you should then try to find something that you can throw or reach out to the individual that has fallen through. This could include a tree branch, hockey stick, rope or ladder. He notes once they have that support, you can figure out if you are able to pull them out of that cold water, onto the ice surface and back to shore. It might also be that your best bet is to keep them in a secure position until rescuers arrive with more equipment.

 

He notes if possible, you want to get them to kick their legs in the water like they are swimming. This might enable them to slide belly first onto the ice. Then, if they are able to get onto the ice, make sure they roll or crawl towards shore. He notes if they attempt to stand, their body weight might just cause them to break through that ice again.

 

"Then once you get them to shore, you need to handle them gently, keep them in a protected position, so out of the cold, out of the wind as much as possible," he instructs. "If you can get them in somewhere warm that's great."

 

Meanwhile, if it is you that falls through the ice, Dr. Love says the number one thing is to stay calm. He notes you need to stay level headed so that you can figure out your next move. According to Dr. Love, once you hit the cold water, your body will go into cold shock, causing you to immediately hyperventilate and start gasping. He notes your heart rate will be racing and it will be easy to panic, but you must try to remain calm.

 

He says after about a minute or so, the cold shock will pass and then you should turn around and go back the direction you were coming from. He says you were on ice when you broke through, and so you want to get back to that spot. Then, slide yourself onto the ice and try to roll or crawl back to shore and then call for help.

 

According to Dr. Love, it is an old wives' tale that you will die of exposure in five minutes. He says it is entirely possible that you could drown quickly if you are unable to keep your head above water. However, if you are able to keep your head up and hold onto the edge of the ice, he says an average person will last for more than an hour before going unconscious. In some cases it could be two hours before hypothermia makes you so cold that your heart stops beating.

 

"If you cannot get yourself out of the water, you want to pull as much of your body out of the water as possible, try to freeze yourself to the ice surface," he says. This way, Dr. Love says if you do pass out from the cold and rescuers show up, there is a chance they might still be able to revive you.