There is no sure answer to when ice is safe. The Crookston Fire Department reminds you that you can’t judge the strength of ice just by its appearance, age, thickness, temperature or whether it is covered by snow. Firefighter Chris Klawitter said the DNR has recommendations for ice thickness for certain activities from walking to driving on ice. “Ice is never 100% safe so you always need to be mindful of that because it can be very unpredictable,” said Klawitter. “The DNR has some minimum guidelines for new, clear ice that you can see through and is not contaminated with snow and other substances. Four inches is the minimum that they recommend for walking on by foot, five to seven inches is the minimum recommendation for snowmobiles and ATVs. Eight to twelve inches is the minimum recommendation of good, clear ice for a small car or pickup, twelve to fifteen inches is the minimum for a medium-sized pickup truck.”
Things like temperature fluctuations can change the consistency of ice, meaning that ice that is safe in one spot, might not be safe 20-feet away. Klawitter suggests that you carry ice picks or sharpened screwdrivers with you to help you climb out of the water in case the ice breaks. “Don’t remove your winter clothing,” said Klawitter. “It will actually help you float a little bit and will keep you warmer to keep your clothing on, especially if you have a snowmobile suit or something like that on. Turn towards the direction you came as the best chance of having good ice is the way you came because it was thick enough to support you to that point. Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface and if you have some ice picks or sharpened screwdrivers use those to dig into the ice and kick your feet to try to drag yourself onto your belly onto the solid ice. Once you get out, lie on the ice and try to roll away to keep your weight distributed because if you stand up you’ll pinpoint your weight on the soles of your feet and could possibly break the ice again.”
If you fall in, you need to find warm shelter and consider seeking medical attention as cooled blood in the extremities can cause medical issues when circulated to the body’s core said, Klawitter. “As soon as you can get to a warm shelter and warm yourself immediately,” said Klawitter. “Hypothermia can be very dangerous and can kill you. If you are cold for any length of time you should seek medical attention. If you get hypothermia you’ll have cold blood in your limbs, fingers, and toes. If that cold blood is circulated to your core it can create other medical problems. Just keep in mind that if you get that cold you should probably go to the doctor but the best thing to do is to get shelter and warmth immediately.”
Tags:
