A recent accident on Sylvan Lake where a man and woman riding an off-road vehicle fell through the ice highlights the need for anyone considering running quads, snowmobiles and other vehicles on area lakes to exercise caution throughout the winter months, says Sundre fire chief Marty Butts.The man and woman were taken to Red Deer hospital suffering from hypothermia after their two-seater off-road vehicle went through the ice on Jan. 2.In that case, both the man and the woman were able to crawl out of the water to safety.ìYou really need to check the ice prior to going on top of it,î said Butts. ìYou should drill a hole to make sure the ice is thick enough before going on any ice with an ATV or other vehicle.îAnd while lake ice can be safe if it is thick enough, river ice is never safe for motorized vehicles since the current can cut away ice below the surface, creating thin spots.The recent drowning of a young boy in Quebec highlights the extreme dangers of river ice, said Butts.ìRivers are very unstable and very unreliable, so you always need to be cautious around those,î he said. ìIn that (Quebec) case, the boy was playing by the river with his friend and he went under and he was only seven years old. That was a sad case.ìAt this time of year the rivers in our area are breaking up and freezing and they are not secure. We have a major river in the Sundre area and we have a trail system that goes all along it so you need to use lots of caution.îIncidentally, the Sundre fire department will be putting 10 to 12 of its members through a river ice rescue course over the next couple of weeks, he said.ìWe've been doing a lot of river rescue training because we have a lot of water in our community. Now we've finally got the funds together to get an ice rescue course put together,î he said.ìThis will let us provide our community that much more security if there is a need for a rescue.îLarry Gratton, operations manager for Alberta Health Services emergency service in Central Alberta, says recent warm weather across the province has made all lake ice unsafe.ìThere's no ice in Alberta that is safe right now, unless it is a hockey rink with a cement floor under it,î said Gratton.If someone does fall through ice on an area lake or river, a rescue should only be attempted if it is safe to do so, he said.ìYou could try to effect a rescue by using a canoe or a ladder but we certainly do not recommend that someone go out on rotten (crumbling) or thin ice to effect a rescue,î he said.ìIf you do effect a rescue, then you need to do first aid for hypothermia, which is removing the wet clothing and starting CPR if they are unconscious. They need to be handled quite gently because there is some evidence that very cold people can be put into cardiac arrest by rough handling.ìIf they are conscious get them out of the wet clothing and get them into warm, dry blankets.îThe Lifesaving Society of Canada, which promotes summer and winter water safety, says there are minimum ice thicknesses that apply depending on the type of activity contemplated and whether the ice is solid or rotten.ï Ice seven centimetres or less in thickness should never be walked or driven upon.ï Ten-centimetre thickness is OK for ice fishing, walking, or cross-country skiing.ï Twelve centimetres is OK for one snowmobile or ATV with one operator.ï Twenty to 30 centimetres is OK for one car or small pickup truck depending on the quality of ice.ï Thirty to 38 centimetres for one medium size truck or van depending on ice quality.Clear blue or green ice is harder, and therefore safer, than white ice, which may have snow or air trapped inside, the LSC says.The society also recommends that people avoid travelling on ice at night, since holes or cracks in the ice may be difficult or impossible to see.Other tips include:ï Never go onto ice alone since a companion may be able to effect a rescue should an incident occur.ï Stay off river ice since river currents can change ice thickness, sometimes very quickly.ï Wear a lifejacket when travelling on ice since such safety gear can markedly increase survival chances if you happen to fall through the ice.ï Bring along safety equipment such as ice picks, ice staff, rope, and a small safety kit that includes a pocket knife, compass, whistle, fire starter kit and a cellphone.ï Make sure to keep a good eye on children playing on or near lake ice.
