On Nov. 23, a dog was rescued by animal control officers after it fell through the ice and struggled to swim. The thoughts and the emotions you would experience if you break through the ice and start to drown are not what every person wants to think about, but if one day that happens to you, you need to prepare. Nearly 50 percent of victims that fall through the ice and die are younger than nine years old, so imagine if your kid, a close relative, or your partner is one of those victims.

Ice can be determined by its strength and various factors. First, the inches of ice will always help when knowing what ice a human can stand on. A good minimum for a human to stand on or walk on is two inches, but under that, even by a tiny third of an inch, it can be very dangerous. Three inches of ice can hold about the weight of a snowmobile or a single file line of people. Finally, according to statistics, 7 inches of ice can hold up to a single passenger car.

Another factor in the strength of ice is its color. Blue ice being the strongest, is usually about 4-10 inches and is the most dense, making it the safest. Snow ice is more unsafe, being only half as strong as blue ice, and it is weaker due to air pockets in the ice. But the weakest and the color of ice you need to avoid is grey/slush ice, which is ice from the presence of water and is not very dense, making it easy to break.

If you so happen to be walking on ice and it starts to break, you need to know the steps to take in order not to drown. One thing you will want to do is to spread your arms and legs out while on your stomach and try to make no sudden movements to prevent more ice from breaking. Roll away slowly, and do not bend your elbows or knees, so you distribute your weight evenly. If you do go through the ice, turn toward the direction you came from. Wear heavy clothing since this could help be a flotation for yourself. Kick your feet and swim your way back to solid ice. Use the air trapped in your clothing and use it to float, so try to lie on your stomach. Try to keep calm as possible because many drownings happen mentally and many people get a cold shock when the water hits you, so remain calm and follow the steps. Never just tread or wait for help in water; your main goal should be to get out as quickly as possible.

A student at Pennridge High School, Chris Ganley, was asked the question “What is your first reaction if you were standing on ice and you feel like it is going to start to break.” His response was, “I would probably run as fast as I can to get off the ice.” Although that response is very common and maybe even safe to some people, that would most likely result in the ice still breaking, you will be exhausted and most likely drown.  My grandmother, Carol Hopkins, explained a story of how, when she was a kid, her friend had the experience of almost drowning from breaking the ice when they were playing on a pond. “It happened so quickly, but luckily the ice that broke had  a big enough hole for her to climb out.” But what if the hole wasn’t big enough, and she died from drowning?

When you get out of the ice, immersion and hypothermia will start to take place if you are in a cold area. Some signs of hypothermia are shivering, skin color becoming flushed but might turn blue, clumsiness and poor coordination, shivering ceases, mental confusion, heart rate slowing down, and heart failure might occur. Taking extreme precautions when you feel ice break from you is life or death, and if you are alone, you have that choice. Knowing what to do if ice breaks will be life-saving.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/11/23/Orchard-Park-New-York-dog-Green-Lake/2331669233354/

https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article247286934.html

https://www.hardwaterkiter.com/ice-safety-information.html

https://www.fishandboat.com/Boat/WaterandIceSafety/Pages/default.aspx

https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Outdoor-Recreation/Ice-Safety