Safety officials are reminding people to take it easy out on
the ice after a number of incidents of people falling into bodies of water over the
weekend.
Two women in Lincoln County and two men in Schofield fell through thin ice over
the weekend and made it out safely. Merrill fire department paramedic Chris
Clabots says you never know when you or your vehicle will find thin ice. "You
could be in 16 inches in one spot, and 4 inches just 10 feet away. So we always
recommend that when you're on the ice at any time, you should should have a
personal flotation device on." He also recommends bringing ice hooks with you to
pull yourself out of the water if need be.
Once you do get out of the water, Clabots says hypothermia can set in quickly if
you're not ready. "Make sure you have a spare change of clothes so that if you
do fall through the ice in some manner, whether it be just your foot, your leg or
whatever, you can change into dry warm clothing."
You also need to be aware of who else has been out on the ice, because one of the
easiest ways to fall in is the humble ice fishing hole. "Even though they're only 8
or 10 inches, people can drop into the other ice holes. So you want to be careful
on the ice, where you're walking or running, that you're not going to step into
somebody's ice fishing holes." Clabots adds that you especially need to keep an
eye on children and pets who are out on the ice, because a large hole can easily let
one of them through to the waist or further if you're not careful.
