What to do if you or someone else falls through the ice

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Tips to help you survive an emergency and save another person.

What to do if you fell through the ice

Do not panic

If you feel yourself falling through, hold your breath. After a dive, the main thing is to calm down and focus. You need to act quickly and decisively, you don't just need to flounder and waste your energy.

In the first seconds, your body will experience a cold shock: your breath will stop, your pulse rate will increase, your blood pressure will rise. In such conditions, it is easy to panic.

But remember: this is a natural reaction and you have time to save yourself.

You have 10 minutes before the muscles go numb and 1 hour before you lose consciousness.

Climb to the surface and try to breathe slowly and deeply.

Do not take off your clothes. It may seem to you that it pulls you down, but you should not waste time on it. In addition, there may be air spaces between the layers of clothing that will keep you afloat.

But it's better to get rid of a heavy backpack.

Orient yourself

Climb to the hole and spread your arms wide to the sides - this will make it easier to keep afloat.

Turn back. The easiest path is the one you came across. Once the ice withstood you the first time, then you can walk on it again.

But if there is a current, in no case turn your back on it: there is a high probability that you will be pulled under the ice and it will be more difficult to get out. In this case, move to the opposite edge of the hole.

Get out

You can get out in different ways.

Method 1

Place both hands on ice. Actively work with your legs so that the body takes a horizontal position.

Pull yourself up and rise on your elbows to drain water from your clothes. Then, in a sliding motion, pull yourself to the surface, but do not stand up. This distributes your weight over a larger area, which means the ice will not break again.

Method 2

The procedure is the same, but you will be helping yourself with a sharp object if you have one in your hand or pocket. Use a ski pole, knife, keys, pen or pencil to grab onto the ice and pull yourself out of the hole.

Method 3

Turn your back to the edge of the hole, grab it with both hands, and pull yourself up just as you would normally climb onto a high windowsill.

All these methods have one drawback: from your movements the ice can break off again. Plus, it's usually quite slippery, so it's not easy to grab onto it. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

Stubbornly continue to get out in any way.

What if you don't have the strength to get out on your own? Stay on the surface, call for help. Put your hands on the edge of the hole: your clothes will freeze to ice and keep you above the water, even if you pass out.

If your phone miraculously didn't get wet in your pocket, call 112 and the person who is as close as possible to the place where you failed.

While you are waiting for help, do not give up trying to get out. Take off your outer clothing that is heavy from water: perhaps without it you will have enough strength to pull up.

Get to the shore

When you find yourself on the surface, roll away from the hole at least a few meters. There is no need to immediately jump to your feet and run headlong: the ice near the hole can be thin. You can get up on your feet only when there is thick ice or earth under you.

Return on the same path that you came.

Keep warm and get help

The dangers do not end there: you run the risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Therefore, you need to either change into dry clothes, or take off, squeeze out and put on the one that is on you again. And run as quickly as possible to any warm room nearby. If you are far from settlements, make a fire.

Movement is life. Don't stop until you are in a safe place.

In no case should you rub your hands and feet (cold blood from the limbs will flow to your head) and drink hot liquid in large sips, and even more intoxicating drinks (a sharp blood flow to the skin will begin). All this has a bad effect on the vascular system, and in the worst case, it can lead to cardiac arrest.

Once you're indoors, do the following:

1. Take off your wet clothes and wrap yourself in a blanket.
2. Sip the warm drink.
3. Call an ambulance, even if you think you are fine.

What to do if someone else falls through the ice

There is no need to rush to the rescue at breakneck speed: the ice near the place of the failure can break off, and you will find yourself in the water.

First of all, call the emergency number 112. Then find a stick or rope or improvise: for example, tie a few scarves or belts.

Crawl to the hole so that your weight is distributed over a larger area, and stop a few meters from the water. Throw a stick, rope or whatever you could replace it with to the victim and pull.

You also need to crawl back. It will be possible to get up only when thick ice or earth is underfoot.

When you get ashore, go to a warm place as soon as possible and give the person first aid before the ambulance arrives: take off your wet clothes, help warm up, give him some tea.

How not to end up in icy water

1. By going out on the ice, you are putting your life in danger. The worst time for such walks is the beginning of winter, thaws and early spring. But you must always be careful. The thickness of the ice is constantly changing. Even if you have covered most of the way without problems, this does not mean that the ice ahead will be as safe.
2. Do not go out on the ice alone, at night or in poor visibility.
3. It is safer to move on clear ice, on which there is no snow.
4. Never use your foot to test the ice strength. Use a stick or trust your eyes. Ice blue is strong, white is two times thinner, dull white and with a yellowish tint is completely unreliable.
5. Go around places where reeds, bushes, trees grow: there the probability of falling through the ice is always higher.
6. If you are walking on ice in a company, keep a safe interval of 5-6 meters.
7. Listen. If you hear strange creaks or cracks, it is better to turn around and slide back to the shore with sliding movements.

More safety rules can be found on the Emergencies Ministry website.

What things to take for a walk on ice

1. A set of warm clothes.
2. A rope or strong cord with a weighted end.
3. Matches.
4. Telephone.
5. Stick to test the ice strength.
6. Thermos with tea.

Things can be folded into a backpack, but during the transition, hang it on only one shoulder: you can easily get rid of it if ice breaks under you.