Public cautioned to stay off the ice

Officials are warning the public to stay off the ice because outdoor bodies of water aren’t safe yet.

“While the ice may appear normal, it can be very thin and may not support people or heavy objects like snowmobiles and vehicles,” the province said in a thin-ice advisory on Tuesday.

The advisory warns of “potentially hazardous” conditions, as “thickness is inconsistent and unpredictable due to recent temperature fluctuations.”

Walking, skating, skiing, sledding and snowmobiling on rivers, lakes, floodways, retention ponds and drainage ditches should be avoided, the advisory said.

Late last month, two people in northern Manitoba drowned after falling through the ice, according to the RCMP.

Tobin Praznik, the City of Brandon’s emergency manager, said ice thickness on the Assiniboine River is unstable.

“At this time, we’re just starting to get into some deep freezes — the ice is still forming. So there could be areas and pockets that haven’t formed to a solid platform,” Praznik said Wednesday.

“It’s really important that people exercise caution, not only for themselves … but keeping our kids and animals off (bodies of water) because it’s so unsure.”

Praznik said he has seen ice shacks set up on the Assiniboine, and while it might be safe on some parts of the river, other areas could be unsafe.

Because of the river’s current, and because snow acts as an insulator, it’s hard to tell the thickness of the river, he said.

He warned that other bodies of water, like retention ponds and creeks, should also be avoided.

Natalie Hasell, warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), said people should avoid going on the ice when it is seven centimetres thick, or thinner.

Ten centimetres or more is considered safe for walking, ice fishing and skating, Hasell said.

Twelve centimetres is considered safe for light ATVs, snowmobiles and larger groups of people, 20 to 30 cm for a light truck, and 30 to 38 cm for medium trucks and SUVs.

None of the officials could provide current ice thickness levels for Brandon or the surrounding area on Wednesday.

Hasell said because of the recent snowfall the region received, the snow “acts like a blanket” for the ice. Bare ice would freeze faster.

She said the Brandon area should expect a cold end to the week, with ECCC projecting a -22 C high on Saturday and a low of -28 C on Friday.

The high will then be -1 C on Tuesday.

“With temperatures getting back to near zero … you’re going to lose ice thickness,” Hasell said.

It’s hard to predict when ice thickness levels will be safe for people to go on, she added.

If people go out now, she said, they can risk falling into the water. At that point, there is a risk of drowning and of hypothermia.

“Some really serious consequences,” Hasell said.

While falling though the ice can be survivable, she said “you need to not panic, you need to remember that you can actually get out of the water.

“But if you’re on thin ice, there’s probably a lot of thin ice around you, not just where you fell in — so getting out of the water might be difficult,” she said.

“It’s a ‘please don’t do this.’ Avoid the hazard if you can.”

She said predictions show below-average temperatures from Dec. 18 until around Christmas Day.

As frostbite-level temperatures are nearing, Hasell said people should dress warm and wear layers.

Praznik said people should do the following if they do fall through the ice:

• Remain calm, focus on breathing.

• If your head goes underwater, locate the hole and turn towards the direction you came from.

• With your arms out and on top of the ice, position your body horizontally and kick your feet behind you to help propel you. Slide up and out of the water and onto the ice shelf.

• Once you manage to get your body back on the ice, do not stand. Crawl or slither away from the opening toward more stable ice. Spreading weight over a larger surface area minimizes the chances of falling through again.

• If you witness someone falling through the ice, call 911 immediately.

Praznik said if people can test the thickness of the ice before going on it, they should do so.

If they aren’t able to do so, not being by yourself and wearing a personal flotation device are ways to be safer, he said.

“We want people to exercise extreme caution,” Praznik said.

» alambert@brandonsun.com