Lifesaving Resources Issues Warning: No Ice is Safe Ice

Lifesaving Resources and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance warns: Keep children, pets off frozen bodies of water.

Harrisville, New Hampshire. December 19, 2010 - Lifesaving Resources, a private corporation dedicated to drowning and aquatic injury prevention and emergency management warns: "No ice is safe ice."

"The recent drowning deaths and numerous emergency incidents from throughout the northern states should remind all of us that (1) children need to be vigilantly supervised anytime they are in, on or around the water; (2) domestic pets need to be kept under control and off the ice; and, (3) never venture onto the ice without appropriate personal protective equipment (including a float coat and ice picks).

It's important to keep pets under control and prevent them from roaming onto ice says National Drowning Prevention Alliance Board Member Gerald M. Dworkin, an aquatics safety and water rescue consultant at Lifesaving Resources Inc. "About 85 percent of ice emergency 9-1-1 calls are triggered by people trying to save a pet who fell through thin ice. Never attempt to rescue an animal yourself, but rather, call 9-1-1."

"The danger is that ice seldom freezes uniformly," says Dworkin. "For example, ice will be thinner when it has formed over moving water, and where it surrounds partially submerged objects such as rocks or tree limbs. Even the movement of fish and birds weakens the integrity of ice." He adds that snow-covered ice, and ice that has thawed and refrozen is not as strong as new, clear, hard ice.

Dworkin says, despite the danger, some people will venture onto ice in pursuit of winter recreational activities, such as ice skating, ice fishing and cross-country skiing. He stresses that those who insist on going onto the ice should do so only if the ice is "new, clear and frozen solid to a depth of no less than four inches."

Moreover, it's crucial to plan ahead and be adequately prepared to deal with an ice emergency by having appropriate equipment such as: a personal flotation device or float coat; ice picks; and a signaling device, such as a whistle. Additionally, he offers winter recreation enthusiasts the following self-rescue and response tips:

If you fall through ice—

• Don't try to climb out immediately. Instead, kick to get horizontal in the water with your legs behind your torso, rather than underneath. After you are horizontal, try to slide forward onto solid ice.

• Once out of the water, roll away and avoid standing until you are several body lengths away from the ice break.

• A set of ice picks are ideal safety tools for rescuers and victims alike. These consist of a foam-filled plastic shaft with retractable sheaths covering metal. When the ice pick is jammed on the ice, the retractable sheath exposes the pick. This allows a rescuer to crawl out to the victim, or gives a victim the opportunity to pick and crawl his way out of the ice hole.

When trying to rescue a person who has fallen through ice—

• Call, or have someone call 9-1-1 first.

• Try to improvise a throwing assist. For example, an empty water cooler bottle, with a line attached, makes an excellent, buoyant rescue aid.

• If going onto the ice to reach a victim is unavoidable, use some sort of device to distribute the rescuer's weight over a wide area. If available, a flat-bottomed boat, canoe or kayak can be slid along the ice until contact is made with the victim. If the ice breaks under the boat, rescuers have a platform from which they can continue the rescue or retreat to safety. Whenever possible, the boat should be tethered to shore with a safety line.

• Use a reaching assist, such as: a hockey stick, rope, tree branch, ladder or belt, to extend the reach of the rescuer and prevent him or her from being dragged into the water by the victim.

Dworkin estimates that several hundred deaths result from people falling through ice each year. "All fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement personnel should be trained and equipped for ice rescue, including the rescue of domestic pets," says Dworkin. "Ice rescue suits, ice picks, water rescue rope, and an animal control stick are the minimum equipment needed."

Lifesaving Resources Inc. conducts ice and water rescue training programs in Harrisville, New Hampshire for emergency first responders from throughout the United States. The 2011 season of Ice Rescue Technician Courses includes January 22, February 05, and March 05. In addition, Lifesaving Resources conducts an annual International Ice Rescue Train-the-Trainer Academy (February 17 - 20, 2011). For more information, access the Lifesaving Resources' website at www.lifesaving.com.

The mission of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance is to be a catalyst in drowning prevention by educating parents and professionals on effective drowning prevention measures. For more information about the National Drowning Prevention Alliance visit www.ndpa.org.