You Can Prevent Drowning with a Simple Wooden Ruler

It’s winter, it’s snowing, and it’s cold. Ice skating or pond hockey seems the perfect activity to get kids’ blood pumping and expend some of that physical energy they have bottled up. But is it really cold enough for kids and pets to venture out onto the ice?

In New Hampshire, a 12-year-old on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) fell through the ice on Arlington Mill Reservoir in Salem on Jan. 2. Lucky for this pre-teen, there were people ice skating on the reservoir to assist him — and he was able to pull himself out.

“Don’t assume the entire body of water is safe just because you see people out there,” said one expert.

In late December, a 90-pound, 14-year old golden retriever was rescued from White Lake in Muskegon County, Michigan. White Lake Fire Chief Gregory Holman told ABC News the dog was unable to get out of the hole in the ice, and was in distress when firefighters reached it. One can only imagine the panic-stricken dog as it struggled for life. The dog is now safe, by the grace of God and the bravery of his rescuers.

Skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating, sledding, snow-shoeing — any activity that may include a frozen body of water has an entirely different level of danger.

Falling through the ice can be deadly for all involved, both victim and rescuers.

Related: I’m a Hockey Mom — Lord, Help Me

“Don’t assume that the entire body of water is safe just because you see people out there,” Lt. Scott LaCrosse of New Hampshire Fish and Game told television news station WMUR after the frightening ATV incident.

[lz_ndn video=31816597]

Remember that ice is seldom the same thickness over a single body of water. Ice can be three feet thick in one place, and one inch thick just yards away. Ice may look solid — but that doesn’t mean it’s dependable enough for people to be on it.

[lz_bulleted_list title=”Guidelines for New, Clear Ice” source=”http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html”]2″ or less — stay off|4″ — ice fishing or other activities on foot|5″ — snowmobile or ATV|8″ – 12″ — car or small pickup|12″ – 15″ — medium truck[/lz_bulleted_list]

In New Hampshire, where I live, we’re having a mild winter so far, with fluctuating temperatures. We can get a snowstorm one day, and the next day the temperature hits the 40-degree range. This is not ideal for solid ice-making. Anyone who has made ice cubes in a freezer can figure it out: Cold-hot-cold again does not make for solid ice.

Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory of Hanover, New Hampshire, told WMUR there should be at least six inches of hard ice before anyone walks on it, and at least eight to 10 inches before anyone drives on it. That’s pretty thick. Parents need to get out their old-fashioned rulers before deciding to let little Johnny ride out on the ice in an ATV.

The only way to tell if it’s thick enough is to take the time to cut a hole in the ice and measure its thickness. Locate the area where your kids will be skating or playing, and chip the ice with an axe or hatchet to create a small hole (or use an ice auger, a special tool that drills into the ice). Use a measuring device to determine the thickness. Fish and Game officials also advise people test the ice about every 10 feet — and of course use extreme caution while doing so.

Use the buddy system, so you aren’t on the ice alone.

Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. White ice, or “snow ice,” is only about half as strong as new, clear ice, they warn on their website. You should double the thickness guidelines when traveling on white ice.

[lz_third_party align=center includes=”https://twitter.com/WBPFFA/status/817037721130729473″]

If you are ice-fishing or ATV-ing and park your vehicle on the ice, use caution. Cars, pickups, or SUVs should be parked at least 50 feet apart and moved every two hours to prevent sinking, notes the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

We need to actively practice winter safety in our families.

The group offers this tip for checking ice safety for vehicles: Make a hole next to the car. If water starts to overflow the top of the hole — the ice is sinking and it’s time to move the vehicle.

Those who rescue people and animals from ice accidents are heroes. They risk their own lives to save our loved ones — both two- and four-legged. Don’t forget, they will risk their lives to save wild animals that fall through, too: horses, moose, deer, etc. Let’s not put these men and women at risk any more than necessary.

We need to actively practice winter safety in our families. Kids are kids, and they look for adventure. It’s up to adults to get outside and check the ice themselves, measuring its thickness in multiple locations. And if necessary, lay down the law to excited kids: Stay off the ice. Period.

Lisa Ferrari is a freelance writer in Nottingham, New Hampshire.