The basics of three areas of frozen water dangers are generalised in this article.
Ponds, Rivers and Canals All of these have their own way of freezing and with different areas of thickness.Some of these are natural while some can also be affected by locality, any water movement, bank activity etc.
It all looks good. When out for a walk, enjoy the scene and take a picture. Unless there are signs to tell you it's safe to go onto the ice, stay off.
If you do go on to the ice and break through, try to keep calm! Take a large breath before your head reaches the water and hold it. If it is a pond or canal ( a canal is usually shallow) you have a good chance of coming up where you went in. If it's a river you'll be very lucky to come up where you went in.
There are ways of getting out but concentration and strength is needed. If you have been under water you might not have either. These are discussed in our courses.
Do not encourage others to go onto ice, don't encourage others to come onto the ice. Don't be a statistic. If alcohol is involved it could be even more serious.
Unless you have the natural ability of the duck don’t even think about going onto ice. Leave the A&E to the ones who didn't think, they could have even more serious problems to deal with.
Learn what to do if you see someone foolish enough to go on the ice. Learn how to help yourself and others in this type of situation.
Contact us for a water safety course. REMEMBER THE DUCK
Look at our available courses and receive qualified, professional training to help you to deal with medical emergencies.