Warm Winter Makes for Dicey Ice

Unseasonably warm temperatures and alternate freezing and thawing are creating some dangerous conditions that can lead to falls through ice--and experts suggest it's best to just stay off all frozen bodies of water. "The perceived recreational benefit is simply not worth the risk," say representatives of National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA).

NDPA offers these 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. Then, try to pull yourself 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 is an ideal safety tool for rescuers and victims. 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 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 buoyant throwing assist, such as an empty jug with a line attached.
• If going onto ice to reach a victim is unavoidable, use a device to distribute the rescuer's weight over a wide area.
• Use a reaching assist to prevent the rescuer from being dragged into the water by the victim. 

"All first responders should be trained and equipped for ice rescue," NDPA says. "Ice rescue suits, ice picks, water rescue rope and an animal control stick are the minimum equipment needed."