ICE SKATING SAFETY

 

 

There’s probably nothing as tempting as an ice-covered lake and the chance to get out and have some fun in the middle of winter.  But there are concerns about safety – and so we urge everyone wherever they may be skating to be aware of the dangers involved.

 

The following are suggestions culled from a variety of website sources.  Parents, please review these with your children.

 

Most important,  skating at Mt. Kemble Lake is at one’s own risk, the same as with swimming and boating.   It is the individual’s and/or parents’ responsibility to determine that the ice is safe. 

 

Here are some safety suggestions.

 

A.  About the ice:

  1. The ice should be 5 inches thick for safe use.  It takes 5 to 7 days of temperatures in the low 20’s before ice may become safe.
  2. The strongest ice is clear and bluish in color.  Milky looking ice has bubbles of air trapped in it and is not as strong.
  3. Recognize that the ice on the lake is unlikely to be the same thickness all over, especially the center where it will probably be thinner.  Snow, water currents, and depth are among the forces that impact the thickness of the ice.
  4. The ice may be fine one day and not a day or two later.  Always check the thickness before venturing out.
  5. The ice isn’t necessarily safe when there’s snow on it.  Actually, snow acts as a blanket and can help the ice to thaw.

 

B.  About you:

  1. Have safety equipment available in the skating area – such items as:  a coil of rope or a heavy  extension chord with a large loop tied in one end, a few life preservers, some screw cap plastic bottles to serve as floats, an inflated tube, a ladder or long pole, a sled, a blanket, and a cell phone.
  1. Children should be supervised by adults while on the ice.
  2. Never skate alone.  Make sure that others on the ice are within reasonable distance so that you or they can call to each other for help, if necessary.
  3. Skaters may be close together but should not all huddle in one spot
  4. Skates should fit comfortably (not too tight, not too loose) and support your ankles.  Also make sure they’re sharp.  (Note that new skates may need to be sharpened before use.  The Mennan Arena and area pro shops can sharpen skates.)
  5. It’s wise to wear a helmet and certainly when playing hockey.  Knee and elbow pads are a good idea also.
  6. Skaters should know how to stop quickly on the ice in case they approach an area that appears unsafe. 
  7. New skaters or those feeling shaky might want to carry a hockey stick for balance.
  8. Learn to fall with a roll to reduce chances of injury.
  9. Always keep your eyes open for cracks, holes, tree branches, diving platforms and docks.  Warn others.
  10. Don’t cross a lake as a shortcut, especially when the ice is covered by snow.
  11. The last people off the ice should clear it of any debris, sleds, hockey goals, etc.  Either those things will freeze into the ice or drop into the lake when the ice thaws.

 

C.  In case someone falls through the ice (as has happened here at the lake)

For the person who falls in –

  1. The greatest danger is panic.  Try to stay calm and recover normal breathing.
  2. Call for help and swim back to the edge of the ice that broke when you fell in.
  3. To attempt to get out, swing your body parallel to the edge of the ice and attempt to get a leg up onto the ice.
  4. If you are successful in getting out of the water, roll away from the hole rather than standing up and walking.

 

For the person who responds to a call for help –

  1. Do not attempt to rescue the victim by reaching to her or him.  If the ice could not support their weight, it won’t support yours.
  2. Try to calm and reassure the victim and have them stay afloat.
  3. Call 911 for help.
  4. Adults who are present should provide the victim with something to help him or her stay afloat such as a life preserver, plastic bottle to serve as a float, or an inner tube.  Then attempt to send something to reach and retrieve the victim such as a rope or extension chord (with a large loop tied at one end so the victim can slip it over the head and under the arms).  A ladder, branch, kayak, or clothes tied together may also be used.
  5. When the victim is moved to the shore, cover her or him with a blanket, jackets, etc. until rescue personnel arrive.

 

IMPORTANT:  There’s an excellent video concerning falls into icy water and hypothermia.  Even those who aren’t skaters will find it fascinating as a Canadian professor plunges through the ice and demonstrates ways of saving oneself.  You can see it using the following link:  
 
http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/physed/grad_programs/about/giesbrecht.html
 

Once the page is up, scroll down to the Discovery Channel Canada Videos and view the Cold Water Survival video.

 

 

                                                                        Don Kuhn

                                                                        Beaches and Docks Committee