How to Survive a Fall Through Ice

What if someone else falls in?

What if someone else falls through and you are the only one around to help? First, call 911 for help. There is a good chance someone near you may be carrying a cell phone.

Resist the urge to run up to the edge of the hole. This would most likely result in two victims in the water. Also, do not risk your life to attempt to save a pet or other animal.

Preach, Reach, Throw, Row, Go

PREACH ‑ Shout to the victim to encourage them to fight to survive and reassure them that help is on the way.
REACH ‑ If you can safely reach the victim from shore, extend an object such as a rope, ladder, or jumper cables to the victim. If the person starts to pull you in, release your grip on the object and start over.
THROW ‑ Toss one end of a rope or something that will float to the victim. Have them tie the rope around themselves before they are too weakened by the cold to grasp it.
ROW ‑ Find a light boat to push across the ice ahead of you. Push it to the edge of the hole, get into the boat and pull the victim in over the bow. It’s not a bad idea to attach some rope to the boat, so others can help pull you and the victim to safety.
GO ‑ A non‑professional shouldn’t go out on the ice to perform a rescue unless all other basic rescue techniques have been ruled out.
If the situation is too dangerous for you to perform the rescue, call 911 for help and keep reassuring the victim that help is on the way and urge them to fight to survive. Heroics by well‑meaning but untrained rescuers sometimes result in two deaths.


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Safety On Ice

Before going onto a frozen lake, pond or river, it's important to take safety precautions to reduce the risk of falling through the ice.
Knowing how to judge ice conditions will also help you make more informed decisions while enjoying your outing. Look for clear blue ice. New ice is stronger than old ice. Remember you take a risk any time you go onto the ice. Ice thickness is not consistent. Beware of ice around partially submerged objects such as trees, brush, embankments or structures. Ice will not form as quickly where water is shallow or where objects may absorb sunlight.
When ice fishing, it is always a good idea to drill test holes or use an ice chisel as you venture onto a lake to help judge the thickness and character of the ice.
The general rule of thumb for ice:

• 2 inches or less - STAY OFF
• 4 inches of good ice for a walking individual
• 6 inches of good ice for a snowmobile or ATV
• 8-12 inches of good ice for a car or small pickup
• 12-15 inches of good ice for a medium pickup truck.

Beware of ice covered with snow. Snow acts much like a blanket, insulating thin ice and preventing the formation of clear, blue ice. Snow can also hide cracked, weak and open water. Daily changes in temperature cause ice to expand and contract, creating cracks and possibly pressure ridges which can affect ice strength.

Stay away from cracks, pressure ridges, slushy or darker areas that signify thinner ice.

Traveling in a vehicle early or late in the season is an accident waiting to happen. Do not drive across ice at night or when it is snowing. You can easily become disoriented and end up in areas of the lake you never intended to be.

Carry a safety kit that includes:

• Ice chisel to check the ice thickness.
• Ice picks or set of screw-drivers to pull yourself back on the ice.
• A cell phone to call for assistance.
  
        

What if I fall in?

• Try not to panic.
• Turn toward the direction you came.
• The safest place to pull yourself back up is the last place you stepped before you went through the ice.
• Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface of the ice.
• Work your way up by kicking your feet.
• Use your ice picks to assist in pulling yourself onto the ice.
• Once you are lying on the ice, roll away from the weak or broken ice, don't attempt to stand up.

Place hands and arms on unbroken surface of the ice. Work your way up by kicking your feet and using picks or wet gloves on frozen surface.

Once atop the ice roll away from the weak or broken ice and do not attempt to stand up.

What if my buddy falls through thin ice?

Keep calm, have a plan. Do not run out to assist the victim. You can go from rescuer to victim in a short second.

REACHthe victim with a long pole, board, rope, blanket or jumper cables.

THROWthe victim a life jacket, empty water jug, or other buoyant object.

Build a human chain in which rescuers lie on the ice with each person grasping the feet of the person in front.

Once on the ice, roll away from the weak or broken ice, do not attempt to stand up.
Treat hypothermia victim by removing wet clothing and replacing it with dry clothing. Get medical assistance - people who have been in cold water may seem fine at first but may suffer potential life threatening effects when the cold blood starts to circulate through the body from the extremities.
This brochure is available in PDF format, requiring you to install a free copy of Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™ available at the following address:  http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Download the "Safety on the Ice"* brochure (440Kb PDF) in Adobe Acrobat Reader format.



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http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/claws.html


slideshow 

1. Turn in the water towards the direction you came from - that is probably the strongest ice.
2. Dig the points of the picks into the ice and while vigorously kicking your feet, pull yourself onto the surface by sliding forward on the ice.
3. Roll away from the area of weak ice. Rolling on the ice will distribute your weight to help avoid breaking through again.
4. Get to shelter, heat, warm dry clothing and warm, non-alcoholic, and non-caffeinated drinks.

Call 911 and seek medical attention if you feel disoriented, have uncontrollable shivering, or have any other ill effects that may be symptoms of hypothermia, (the life-threatening drop in the body's core temperature.)
If your buddy breaks through, first tell them to "Stay calm" and that "We'll get you out of there in a second." Then throw them the picks and explain how to use them. Remember that by kicking their feet, the thrust of the kicks can help push them back onto the solid ice.



 
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http://www.ziare.com/articole/inecat+braila

Copil mort in timp ce patina pe un lac

Un baiat in varsta de 9 ani din Braila a fost gasit, luni seara, inecat in lacul pe care venise sa patineze.

Gheata subtire a cedat, iar copilul a cazut in apa. Pompierii l-au scos cateva ore mai tarziu, insa copilul era deja mort, informeaza Pro Tv.

Tragedia s-a petrecut pe un lac de la marginea Brailei. Unul dintre cei trei copii care s-au dus sa patineze s-a temut sa paseasca pe gheata.

Cand a vazut ca prietenii sai a cazut in apa a fugit si i-a alertat pe parinti. Intre timp, unul dintre cei doi baieti a reusit sa iasa singur din apa, desi era in stare de soc.

Celalalt nu a reusit sa supravietuiasca. Medicii au facut eforturi sa-l readuca pe baiat la viata insa n-au reusit. mai mult

Marti, 23 Februarie 2010, ora 13:28

Alte articole despre: copil mort inghetat, copil patinat lac, copil mort Braila

Braila: Un copil s-a inecat intr-un lac format de Dunare

Un copil s-a inecat luni in lacul format de Dunare pe digul Braila-Galati, dupa ce s-a dus sa se joace in zona impreuna cu inca doi prieteni.

Astfel, trei baieti din cartierul ANL Brailita, in varsta de 7, 9 si respectiv 10 ani, au plecat sa se joace pe malul lacului in dreptul unui retaurant de pe dig, informeaza Adevarul.

Cei doi baieti mai mari au cazut in apa, iar cel mic a fugit dupa ajutor. Un barbat care trecea prin zona a reusit sa-l gaseasca pe unul dintre baieti, in soc hipotermic, dar in viata. Medicii SMURD, care l-au resuscitat, ii dau sanse de supravietuire.

Echipele ISU au gasit si corpul celui de-al treilea copil. Acesta nu mai respira si a fost supus procedurii de resuscitare. mai mult

Luni, 22 Februarie 2010

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How to Survive a Fall Through Ice: 12 steps

Yes, the weather outside is frightful, but what could be more delightful on a cold winter morning than getting out of the house, breathing in the crisp air, and skating or fishing atop a frozen lake? For many inhabitants of the world's cold-weather climates, getting out on the ice is a much-anticipated yearly ritual. Unfortunately, this Currier & Ives scene can turn deadly with a single misstep. A fall through the ice into frigid waters is a harrowing experience that can easily result in drowning or hypothermia. If you know what to do, however, you can escape safely. Here's how.

To learn how to rescue someone who has fallen through ice, click here.

Edit Steps

1. 1
   Be prepared. Many people fall through ice in or near towns where help is nearby, but if you're going to be some distance from civilization (as you might on a backpacking or snowmobiling trip) you should prepare for the possibility of a plunge.
   
   
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   • Carry a spud bar - a long metal or metal-tipped wood pole that can be used to probe unsure areas of ice, and can also be used as a walking stick when traveling on slick areas.
   • Carry safety spikes. There are also many types of safety spikes, designed to give traction to an ice adventurer, should he break through. Pairs can be bought at stores, but some of the most effective spikes can be made of wooden dowels and nails at home. By putting a nail into one-inch-diameter dowels that fit into your hands, you have created a floating tool that could very well save your life. Connect the two dowels with eye-hooks and a durable cord to have them comfortably hang around your neck available to use at a moment’s notice.
   • Rewarming yourself after spending time in ice-cold water is essential, and in a remote area fire will likely be your only option. Carry reliable fire starters, such as those commercially available in camping and outdoor supply stores, or, at the very least, waterproof matches. Fire starters may not be waterproof, so make sure to keep them in a tightly sealed plastic bag or other waterproof container. Keep your fire-making supplies in a zipped pocket of your jacket so there is no chance of losing them. If you go through the ice, whether on foot or snowmobile, you will likely lose all your supplies that aren't attached to you.
   • Wear a small backpack that contains essential supplies such as water, food, an emergency blanket, and possibly a change of clothes. Make sure the backpack is waterproof, or keep the items inside sealed in a bag. Don't overpack this bag; just keep the necessities in it. If you're already carrying a heavy backpack, keep in mind that you may need to dump it in order to get out of the water, so consider keeping some emergency supplies in a fanny pack or in the pockets of your clothes.
   • Wear a flotation suit if you're traveling by snowmobile. Regular snowmobile suits can weigh you down and make escape from the water difficult. A flotation suit is more expensive, but worth every penny - and more - if you end up needing it.
2. 2
   Brace yourself. As soon as you realize you're falling through the ice, hold your breath so that you do not breathe in water if your head goes under for a moment. If you have the presence of mind to lean back a little, this will also help you to avoid submersion of your head. Everything usually happens very quickly, though, so just be sure to immediately get to the surface if your head does go underwater.
3. 3
   Keep a cool head. You don't literally want a "cool" head, of course, but you do want to calm down. The body will react to the plunge by going into "cold shock," a condition characterized by hyperventilation, involuntary gasping, and internal responses including hypertension (high blood pressure) and changes in pulse rate. It's easy to panic under these conditions, but the fact is, you've got time: even in near-freezing water, people in decent physical condition will generally have at least 2-5 minutes, and sometimes much longer, before they lose the strength or coordination to pull themselves out. Yes, it's a race against time, but the race is a bit longer than most people think. Panic is your worst enemy.
4. 4
   Find the hole! Especially when speed skating, momentum can make you end up far away from the original break in the ice. Being calm and try to locate what's up and remember this:
   • When the ice is covered with snow: the hole will be darker.
   • Ice without snow: the hole will be lighter.
   • Always look for the contrasting color!
5. 5
   Stay afloat. Though your head may have gone underwater initially, you want to make sure you keep it out of the water from here on out. Tread water, and lean slightly back to help you float more easily. Don't worry about getting out right away; in the first minute you should just concentrate on keeping afloat and not drowning. If a heavy backpack is pulling you down, ditch it.
6. 6
   Control your breathing. The gasping and hyperventilating associated with cold shock begin the second you go into the water and can last up to 4 minutes. You need to normalize your breathing as quickly as possible to ensure that you have enough energy and awareness to get yourself out of the water and minimize the risk of cardiac arrest (cardiac arrest resulting from cold shock is rare in healthy people, but can strike almost instantly in the elderly or people with preexisting heart conditions). Concentrate on slowing your breathing, and make an effort to take deep breaths (note this may not be feasible if the water around you is turbulent). If you continue to take rapid, shallow breaths, try breathing through pursed lips.
7. 7
   Position yourself to face the strongest part of the ice. Since you fell through the ice, you know that the ice around the edges of the hole may very likely also be weak. Generally, the strongest ice will be that which you were on just before you fell through. After all, it was holding you only moments before. In some cases, however, the edge from which you came may difficult to reach or may have fragmented. If this happens, just get to an edge that you can reach and which appears thick and intact.
8. 8
   Get as much of your body as possible out of the water. Grab onto the top of the ice and use your arms and elbows to lift yourself up. It's likely that you won't be able to get all the way out by doing so, but you can get a good start. You'll also lighten your load as water drains off of you.
9. 9
   Kick your feet and simultaneously pull yourself out. Since you generally won't be able to lift yourself upward and out, you want to instead "swim" out by getting your body as horizontal as possible. Lean forward onto the ice, and kick your feet as you would if you were swimming. As you do so, use your arms and elbows to push and pull yourself out of the hole.
   
   An alternate method is to roll out and away from the hole by floating on your back, hooking your strongest arm over the ice and bring your leg on the same side up over the ice edge; begin rolling up on the ice with a throwing motion with the opposite arm in the direction of the roll while bringing the opposite leg up as the roll commences. continue to roll until you are on solid ice.
   • If you are unable to get out of the water after 5 or 10 minutes, you're almost certainly not going to get out. Your body will become weak and uncoordinated, and you will eventually lose consciousness. Don't give up, though. Instead, change your strategy. Many people who have lost consciousness after falling through ice have still been rescued because they managed to keep their heads above water even while they were passed out.
   • Get as much of your body onto the ice as possible. The body loses heat in water much more quickly than it does in air, so the more of your body is above water the better.
   • Stretch out your arms flat against the ice, and don't move them unless you start slipping. If you hold your hands and arms in one position against the ice, they may freeze to the ice. This can prevent you from sliding into the water once you pass out, thus giving you more time to be rescued.
   • If you are certain you cannot escape, stop struggling. Struggling takes away your energy and can lower your body temperature, increasing the rate at which hypothermia sets in. ^[1]
10. 10
    Roll away from the hole. Don't stand up right away. The ice around the hole may be weak, so you want to distribute your weight over as much area as possible. Roll away from the hole or crawl on your belly until you are several feet from the hole. After that, you can crawl on your hands and knees until you are certain you are out of danger. Only then should you stand up.
11. 11
    Retrace your footsteps or path back to shore after getting out. At least try as hard as you can to go back the way you came, as the ice you crossed earlier held up under your weight until the breaking point.
12. 12
    Warm up and get help. Severe hypothermia actually takes quite a while to set in, but it's critical to get warm as soon as possible, even if you don't feel particularly cold (you will probably be numb). If you're in the wilderness, start a fire. Otherwise, get indoors or inside a warm car as soon as possible. Get medical attention promptly, even if you don't feel like you need it.

Video

A professional deliberately falls through ice in order to demonstrate getting out, which begins about 1 minute into the video.

Tips

• When walking on ice you are unsure of use a "spud bar" to test the strength of the ice in front of you
• Do not try to remove clothing layers; these trap air and can help make you float more easily. Removing clothing also wastes valuable time.
• Not struggling or acting quickly is also important if you end up beneath the ice. Relax, look around, and attempt to locate the open water above you. Acting quickly and swimming in any direction could lead you even further away from the opening and safety.
• If you're not sure if ice is safe, don't risk it. Always assess the ice before stepping out onto it.
• If you need to rescue someone who has fallen through the ice, you should first try to talk them through the situation from a distance. Your presence should help them to calm down, and you can then give them live-saving instructions so they can pull themselves out, Do not put yourself in danger. If the person unable to pull themselves out, however, you'll need to take a more active role.
• If you're wearing skis, kick them off immediately while in the water. Skis can make it extremely difficult to get out of the water. However, you might be able to use one of them to help you get out of the water, if you can safely reach it, by laying it length-wise across the hole and using it to pull yourself out. If that fails you might still be able to use the edges to gain a purchase on the ice.
• Try to determine the safest, quickest route back to land and / or to get help. Often this will be the back the way you came, but sometimes--if you have just traversed a lake, for example, and fall through near the edge--you may be better off taking a different route. Safety is a far more important concern than speed, however, since a second plunge will be even more dangerous than the first.
• If you are carrying a knife, keys, or some other sharp object, you may be able to use it to dig into the ice to help pull yourself out.
• If you fall into ice off a snowmobile, let go of the machine. As soon as it starts falling into the ice, let go, leap off and roll sideways. If you still go into the water, follow the instructions above for getting out. Remember to roll. The impact of the machine going through the ice will have weakened a very large area around it.

REGARDING CLOTHING: I almost drowned after slipping threw ice and my winter coat was so heavy when wet I couldn't get myself out until I had the wherewithal to take it off. I probably would have died had I not taken the weight of it off of me.

Warnings

• The thickness of ice can vary significantly over a short distance due to freezing patterns and water currents, so don't assume the ice ahead is safe just because the ice behind you was.
• Do not venture onto questionable ice or go out onto ice where warnings are posted. If you see a "thin ice" sign or other warning, heed it. Even if there are no warnings, don't go out onto ice unless you're sure it's thick enough to hold you.
• Warm spells in winter and early spring are the most dangerous times to venture onto ice. Thawing weakens the ice and thins it.
• Would-be rescuers frequently fall through the ice themselves. Exercise extreme caution when attempting to rescue someone who has fallen through ice, and try to talk them out from a distance or throw them a line while standing on safe ice.
• Strength and perseverance are what will help you get out. Don't presume you can keep swimming until help arrives - swimming is only going to help keep you up and give you the force to propel yourself out. Otherwise, the coldness of the water will claim you long before swimming would tire you out. You must do your best to get out. Tread water if you need to rest in between attempts to get yourself out.
• Never use hot water, heat lamps, heating pads, or anything hot to treat hypothermia. This can cause cardiovascular problems (including cardiac arrest). If you must use water, use room temperature water first, and slowly increase the temperature. Better yet, remove the wet clothing and wrap the person in blankets to warm them up slowly. For detailed information, check out how to treat hypothermia. Remember, you are trying to slowly increase their core temperature to a safe level.

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Rescue Someone Who Has Fallen Through Ice
• How to Know When Ice is Safe
• How to Treat Hypothermia
• How to Treat Frostbite
• How to Prepare for an Ice or Snow Storm
• How to Survive a Winter Storm